Babesia equi Field Isolates Cultured from Horse Blood Using a Microcentrifuge Method

Babesia equi, a causative agent of equine piroplasmosis, was isolated from horses in the Chaco Province of Argentina, a known piroplasmosis endemic region. Fifteen B. equi field isolates were acquired by culture from 23 actively working horses from 2 ranches. The horses appeared healthy with no clin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of parasitology 1998-08, Vol.84 (4), p.696-699
Main Authors: Holman, Patricia J., Becu, Teotimo, Bakos, Esteban, Polledo, Gonzalo, Cruz, David, Wagner, G. Gale
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal collection
Animals
Antibodies
Antibodies, Protozoan - blood
Argentina - epidemiology
Babesia - growth & development
Babesia - immunology
Babesia - isolation & purification
Babesiosis
Babesiosis - epidemiology
Babesiosis - parasitology
Blood
Carrier State - epidemiology
Carrier State - parasitology
Carrier State - veterinary
Centrifugation - methods
Centrifugation - veterinary
Complement Fixation Tests
Ectoparasitology
Erythrocytes
Erythrocytes - parasitology
Horse Diseases - epidemiology
Horse Diseases - parasitology
Horses
Parasitemia
Parasitemia - epidemiology
Parasitemia - parasitology
Parasitemia - veterinary
Parasites
Ranches
Serial Passage
Subcultures
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Summary:Babesia equi, a causative agent of equine piroplasmosis, was isolated from horses in the Chaco Province of Argentina, a known piroplasmosis endemic region. Fifteen B. equi field isolates were acquired by culture from 23 actively working horses from 2 ranches. The horses appeared healthy with no clinical signs or histories indicative of equine piroplasmosis. All 23 horses had B. equi-specific antibody activity by the indirect fluorescent antibody test and 18 were also complement fixation test positive for B. equi. Equine erythrocytes were prepared for parasite culture using a microcentrifuge tube method. This method greatly reduces the time involved in cell handling and parasite exposure to ambient conditions. By this method, B. equi cultures can be initiated from very small quantities of blood.
ISSN:0022-3395
1937-2345
DOI:10.2307/3284572