Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, intraerythrocytic protozoa transmitted by ticks. In Argentina, EP is endemic in the northeast, negatively affecting equine health and economic productivity. Nevertheless, infected animals generally appear as asymptomatic carr...

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Autores principales: Benítez, Daniel Francisco, Ganzinelli, Sabrina, Lobayan, Sergio, Schnittger, Leonhard, Schapiro, Javier Hernán
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Universidad Nacional del Nordeste 2026
Materias:
piroplasmids
hemoparasites
PCR
parasitemia
equine theileriosis
equine babesiosis
piroplásmidos
hemoparásitos
theileriosis equina
babesiosis equina
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/vet/article/view/9058
Aporte de:
Revistas UNNE - Universidad Nacional del Noroeste (UNNE) de Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
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institution Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
institution_str I-48
repository_str R-154
container_title_str Revistas UNNE - Universidad Nacional del Noroeste (UNNE)
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic piroplasmids
hemoparasites
PCR
parasitemia
equine theileriosis
equine babesiosis
piroplásmidos
hemoparásitos
PCR
parasitemia
theileriosis equina
babesiosis equina
spellingShingle piroplasmids
hemoparasites
PCR
parasitemia
equine theileriosis
equine babesiosis
piroplásmidos
hemoparásitos
PCR
parasitemia
theileriosis equina
babesiosis equina
Benítez, Daniel Francisco
Ganzinelli, Sabrina
Lobayan, Sergio
Schnittger, Leonhard
Schapiro, Javier Hernán
Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina
topic_facet piroplasmids
hemoparasites
PCR
parasitemia
equine theileriosis
equine babesiosis
piroplásmidos
hemoparásitos
PCR
parasitemia
theileriosis equina
babesiosis equina
author Benítez, Daniel Francisco
Ganzinelli, Sabrina
Lobayan, Sergio
Schnittger, Leonhard
Schapiro, Javier Hernán
author_facet Benítez, Daniel Francisco
Ganzinelli, Sabrina
Lobayan, Sergio
Schnittger, Leonhard
Schapiro, Javier Hernán
author_sort Benítez, Daniel Francisco
title Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina
title_short Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina
title_full Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina
title_fullStr Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina
title_sort equine piroplasmosis: molecular evaluation of theileria equi and babesia caballi in work horses from gobernador virasoro, corrientes, argentina
description Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, intraerythrocytic protozoa transmitted by ticks. In Argentina, EP is endemic in the northeast, negatively affecting equine health and economic productivity. Nevertheless, infected animals generally appear as asymptomatic carriers. This study evaluated the infection rate of T. equi and B. caballi in working horses (n = 98). Blood smears from all animals were prepared and examined microscopically, followed by direct parasite detection using diagnostic PCR. No parasites were detected in the examined smears. However, 52 horses tested positive for T. equi (53.1%) by PCR. Three age categories were compared, revealing infection rates of 55.6% (15/27) in 1–3-year-old horses, 55.4% (31/56) in horses aged 4–10 years, and 40% (6/15) in horses older than 10 years. Notably, the infection rates across age categories did not differ significantly (p = 0.55). Considering that older animals have longer exposure to ticks, a higher infection rate in these groups might have been expected. Additionally, no significant association was found between infection status and the sex (p = 0.46). All horses tested negative for B. caballi by PCR. Clinical examination revealed good general condition and absence of ectoparasites, except for a single specimen of Rhipicephalus microplus found in one horse. The high rate of T. equi infection in the studied horses in this region underscore the need for improved control measures, treatment strategies, and the development of more sensitive diagnostic tools.
publisher Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
publishDate 2026
url https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/vet/article/view/9058
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spelling I48-R154-article-90582026-01-02T16:21:08Z Equine piroplasmosis: Molecular evaluation of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in work horses from Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina Piroplasmosis equina: Epidemiología molecular de Theileria equi y Babesia caballi en caballos de trabajo de Gobernador Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina Benítez, Daniel Francisco Ganzinelli, Sabrina Lobayan, Sergio Schnittger, Leonhard Schapiro, Javier Hernán piroplasmids hemoparasites PCR parasitemia equine theileriosis equine babesiosis piroplásmidos hemoparásitos PCR parasitemia theileriosis equina babesiosis equina Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, intraerythrocytic protozoa transmitted by ticks. In Argentina, EP is endemic in the northeast, negatively affecting equine health and economic productivity. Nevertheless, infected animals generally appear as asymptomatic carriers. This study evaluated the infection rate of T. equi and B. caballi in working horses (n = 98). Blood smears from all animals were prepared and examined microscopically, followed by direct parasite detection using diagnostic PCR. No parasites were detected in the examined smears. However, 52 horses tested positive for T. equi (53.1%) by PCR. Three age categories were compared, revealing infection rates of 55.6% (15/27) in 1–3-year-old horses, 55.4% (31/56) in horses aged 4–10 years, and 40% (6/15) in horses older than 10 years. Notably, the infection rates across age categories did not differ significantly (p = 0.55). Considering that older animals have longer exposure to ticks, a higher infection rate in these groups might have been expected. Additionally, no significant association was found between infection status and the sex (p = 0.46). All horses tested negative for B. caballi by PCR. Clinical examination revealed good general condition and absence of ectoparasites, except for a single specimen of Rhipicephalus microplus found in one horse. The high rate of T. equi infection in the studied horses in this region underscore the need for improved control measures, treatment strategies, and the development of more sensitive diagnostic tools. La piroplasmosis equina (PE) es una enfermedad parasitaria causada por Theileria equi y Babesia caballi, protozoos intraeritrocíticos transmitidos principalmente por garrapatas. En Argentina, la PE es endémica en el noreste, causando un impacto sanitario y económico negativo en la producción equina. No obstante, los animales infectados generalmente se presentan como portadores asintomáticos. En este trabajo, se estudió la tasa de infección por T. equi y B. caballi en caballos de trabajo (n = 98). Para ello, se realizaron frotis de sangre y PCR para detectar cada patógeno. De los equinos estudiados, no se encontraron parásitos en ninguno de los frotis analizados. Sin embargo, 52 animales resultaron positivos para T. equi (53,1%) mediante PCR. Los animales se clasificaron en tres categorías etarias y se encontró que la tasa de infección fue del 55,6% (15 de 27 caballos) en caballos de 1 a 3 años, del 55,4% (31 de 56 caballos) en animales de 4 a 10 años y del 40% (6 de 15 caballos) en animales mayores de 10 años. Notablemente, las tasas de infección fueron estadísticamente similares en las tres categorías estudiadas (p = 0,55). Como los animales de mayor edad estuvieron expuestos a las garrapatas durante un tiempo superior, cabría esperar un incremento en la tasa de infección en los grupos con aminales longevos. Asimismo, no se observó una diferencia significativa entre la tasa de infección y el sexo de los animales (p = 0,46). Por otra parte, no se han detectado animales positivos para B. caballi mediante PCR. El examen clínico reveló buena condición general y ausencia de ectoparásitos en los animales, con la excepción de un solo espécimen de Rhipicephalus microplus. Este estudio revela una alta frecuencia de caballos infectados con T. equi y enfatiza la importancia de implementar medidas de control y desarrollar estrategias de diagnóstico más sensibles. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste 2026-01-02 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/vet/article/view/9058 10.30972/vet.3719058 Revista Veterinaria; Vol. 37 (2026); 1-6 Revista Veterinaria; Vol. 37 (2026); 1-6 1669-6840 1668-4834 spa https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/vet/article/view/9058/8768 Derechos de autor 2026 Daniel Francisco Benítez, Sabrina Ganzinelli, Sergio Lobayan, Leonhard Schnittger, Javier Hernán Schapiro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

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