..::Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute::..

The Egyptian Journal of Immunology vol.10(2) 2003

Molecular Detection of Babesia equi in infected and carrier
horses by polymerase chain reaction

Amani, W. farah; N.A.M. Hegazy; Romany, M.M.; Y.A. Soliman and Daoud, A.M

Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute,
Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt

Summary

	Twenty three blood samples were used in this study; five were from five naturally infected horses with Babesia equi ( B. equi), while eighteen were from asymptomatic horese with equine babesiasis from different localilties in Egypt.

	All samples were subjected to microscopic examination, indirect fluoerscent antibody test (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) The carrier animals were microscopically detected in 7 out of 18 samples (38.8 % ) and in 9 of 18 by using IFA (50%) whereas PCR revealed that 14 samples were positive (78%) two synthetic oilgonucleotide primers, based on the B.

	equi merozoite antigen gene (EMA-1) were used. A.819 bps DNA fragment is specifically amplified from the gene encoding EMA-1 of B. equi. Our results demonstrate that PCR is a valuable technique for routine detection of B. equi in chronically infected horses, even at low parasitaemia levels.