Diagnosis and prevalence of Theileria equi horses in western Mexico by nested PCR.
Theileria equi infection prevalence was calculated from 1000 blood samples obtained from apparently healthy horses in western Mexico. Samples were sent to the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico) for T. equi diagnosis. Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used as a diagnostic method to detect pathogen DNA. Using primers for the merozoite antigen-1 (EMA-1) gene, 19.70±2.47% of the horses (95% CI, 17.23-22.17%) tested positive for T. equi. There was no significant association between gender and T. equi infection. However, prevalence was higher among stabled horses (25.81%) than that among grazing horses (15.02%). The positivity rate was also higher among Quarter Horse (24.70%), Lusitano (35.90%), and Costa Rican Saddle Horse (47.37%) breeds than that among the other seven breeds investigated in this study. The percentage of T. equi infection was higher among adult horses (≥ 4years old, 25.05%) than that among colts and fillies (2-4years old, 15.48%), yearlings (1-2years old, 10.49%), and foals (<1year old, 10.34%). This is the first study of T. equi infection prevalence among horses in Mexico by nPCR . The results indicate that the equine piroplasmosis (EP) caused by T. equi is enzootic in western Mexico.
Departamento de Producción Animal. Electronic address: manayala@cucba.udg.mx.
Miguel Angel
MA
Ayala-Valdovinos
Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Posgrado CBAP, Ciudad de la Cultura, Amado Nervo s/n, C.P. 63155 Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.
Clemente
C
Lemus-Flores
Departamento de Producción Animal.
Jorge
J
Galindo-García
Departamento de Medicina Veterinaria, División de Ciencias Veterinarias, CUCBA, Universidad de Guadalajara, Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, C.P. 45220, Predio Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
Jacinto
J
Bañuelos-Pineda
Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Posgrado CBAP, Ciudad de la Cultura, Amado Nervo s/n, C.P. 63155 Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.
Javier Germán
JG
Rodríguez-Carpena
Departamento de Producción Animal.
David
D
Sánchez-Chiprés
Departamento de Producción Animal.
Theodor
T
Duifhuis-Rivera
D000818:Animals; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006736:Horses / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D016794:Theileria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
Horse; Mexico; Nested polymerase chain reaction; Theileria equi