Equine Lyme-Borreliose (ELB) und Equine Granulozytäre Anaplasmose (EGA) Teil 1 – Potentielle Risikofaktoren (Besitzerbefragung)

Gehlen, Heidrun; Inerle, Katharina Sophie; Utrich, Sebastian; Briese, Beatrice und Straubinger, Reinhard K. (2022): Equine Lyme-Borreliose (ELB) und Equine Granulozytäre Anaplasmose (EGA) Teil 1 – Potentielle Risikofaktoren (Besitzerbefragung). In: Pferdeheilkunde, Bd. 38, Nr. 5: S. 420-427

Abstract

Tick-borne diseases also play a significant role in horses in Germany. Potential risk factors for infections with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) and/or Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap) in horses in Germany were assessed in this study. With an owner survey of ELB-suspected or affected horses, environmental risk factors were determined, which may increase the probability of infection or detection of antibodies against Borrelia spp. and/or Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Horses in which the veterinarian suspected equine Lyme borreliosis (ELB) and/or equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) based on the clinical signs were included in the study. In addition, owners were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire on potential risk factors such as the use of the horse (including use of terrain), grazing of the horse, time of year (season of sampling), tick detection/tick exposure, repellent use, and vaccination. Laboratory diagnostics was done in a two-step process. First, blood samples from all horses were tested for specific antibodies (AB) against Bbsl using ELISA, immunoblot and also for antibodies against Bbsl and Ap using a validated rapid test (SNAP((R)) 4Dx Plus((R)) ELISA) to detect reliably coinfections. A blood smear was also examined for Anaplasma spp. organisms. A total of 123 owners and horses suspected of having ELB participated in this study. Infection-specific Bbsl antibodies were detected in 21 % of the animals (n = 26;n(total) = 123;21.1 %). The different types of use, the time of year when the samples were received, access to pasture, and the number of ticks found on the animal, as well as gender, breed, and coat color, were not identified as risk factors for ELB and/or EGA or previous contact with one of both pathogens identified. However, young horses (< 3 years) were significantly more frequent Bbsl seronegative than the average of the sampled population. In addition, the frequency of positive Bbsl-AB detection increased with age. Comparable observations could also be made with the Ap-AB evidence. In addition to the differences in the age groups, a statistically significant difference was found for northern and southern Germany regions for Bbsl (p = 0.022) and coinfection findings with AB against Bbsl and Ap (p = 0.001). The chance for a positive Bbsl-AB detection in southern Germany was 3.1 times as high as in northern Germany, and the chance for coinfections was 23.2 times as high. Horses housed in an area with high tick exposure were 10.8 times (p = 0.007) more likely to have a positive Ap-AB than horses housed in non-tick-prone areas. Horses regularly vaccinated against tetanus and/or influenza also tended to be more likely to be vaccinated against ELB (p = 0.053). Failure to use repellents was also associated with a 2.7-fold (1.068-6.999) higher chance of positive Ap-AB detection. However, a positive correlation between generally good vaccination and deworming management and the prophylactic use of repellents was not found (p = 0.093).

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Tiermedizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 0177-7726
• Sprache: Deutsch