Event

The UWI School of Veterinary Medicine will be hosting a seminar titled: A prospective study investigating transplacental transmission of equine piroplasmosis in thoroughbred foals in Trinidad. By Dr. Candice Sant, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences.

This event takes place at noon.

Abstract:

The causative agents of equine piroplasmosis are the haemoprotozoan parasites Theileria equi and Babesia caballi that can be transmitted mechanically or via the tick vector. There have been reported cases of transplacental transmission of T. equi in thoroughbred foals in Trinidad. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate transplacental transmission of equine piroplasmosis in thoroughbred foals in Trinidad and to establish haematological and biochemical reference intervals for foals from birth till one month of age.

Blood and serum samples of mares in the fifth month of pregnancy and their foals within the first 36 hours of birth were evaluated for these piroplasms by light microscopy, serum ELISA, conventional and real time PCR analysis

Real time PCR revealed that seven of the foals were positive for T. equi, but only four were positive by conventional PCR (cPCR). For B. caballi six foals were positive by real time PCR but none of the foals were positive for B. caballi by cPCR.

Transplacental transmission due to T. equi or B. caballi is a more common occurrence than previously suspected. Newborn foals should be screened for equine piroplasmosis at one day old so treatment of positive foals can be started earlier for a better prognosis.