tarandi) also affect ungulates (i.e., bovines and cervidae) causing similar clinical signs and have been reported in Europe. bennetti, two additional Besnoitia species ( B. Recently, the disease was suspected in seven donkeys from Southern Spain since tissue cysts were detected by histopathology. The first case of besnoitiosis in a horse was reported in Northern France. infection has not been studied in depth in European equids apart from only two reports of equine besnoitiosis. infections have been carried out in horses and donkeys in Europe (France, Italy, Czech Republic, Sweden and Spain). Moreover, besnoitiosis in donkeys caused by Besnoitia bennetti in donkeys is an emerging disease in the United States. Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi are the causative agents of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a serious neurological disease of horses in the Americas. neurona antigens.Ĭystogenic coccidia such as Sarcocystis spp., Neospora spp., and Besnoitia spp. Finally, cross-reactions with antibodies directed against other species of Sarcocystis might explain the positive reactions against the S. Further parasite detection and molecular genotyping are needed to identify the causative Besnoitia and Neospora species. However, the origin of the infection is still unclear. infection in European equids accomplished by two complementary tests and gives evidence of the presence of specific antibodies in these populations. This study was the first extensive serosurvey of Besnoitia spp. The presence of rodents was the only risk factor for Neospora spp. were the host species (mule or donkey), the absence of shelter and the absence of a rodent control programme. The principal risk factors associated with a higher seroprevalence of Besnoitia spp. ResultsĪntibodies against Besnoitia spp., Neospora spp. Risk factors associated with these protozoan infections were also investigated. and Sarcocystis spp., infections were detected using in-house ELISAs based on the parasite surface antigens N. infection and positive results were confirmed by an a posteriori western blot. An in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to identify a Besnoitia spp. A cross-sectional study was performed and serum samples from horses ( n = 553), donkeys ( n = 85) and mules ( n = 83) were included. Thus, a serosurvey of these cystogenic coccidia was carried out in Southern Spain. Equine besnoitiosis, caused by Besnoitia bennetti, and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), caused by Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi are relevant equine diseases in the Americas that have been scarcely studied in Europe.

Western blot results epm