Equine Piroplasmosis

Equine help in transportation, field work, pulling heavy loads and for pleasures in races and riding. Among the serious problems affecting equine are parasitic infections, of which blood protozoal diseases are considered of great importance in Egypt. The main blood parasites are those belong to family Babesiidae: the cause of equine piroplasmosis (Ahmed, 1981). Equine piroplasmosis remain important diseases for the development of equine industries worldwide, including Egypt, especially in acutely infected horses; abortions; loss of performance; death; and restrictions in meeting international requirements related to exportation or participation in equestrian sporting events (Farah et al., 2003, Pérez de León et al., 2010, and Chantal and Rothschild DVM, 2013). …show more content…
Piroplasmosis, which is also, affects all equid species, including horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras (Friedhoff et al., 1990). Infection with either or both of these obligate, intra-erythrocytic organisms can cause varying degrees of hemolytic anemia and associated systemic illness (fever, Jaundice, red urine, oedema, loss of appetite, weakness) (Knowles, 1988). The taxonomy of B. equi remains controversial, based in part on finding an extra-erythrocytic stage within equine lymphocyte, B. equi was reclassified as T. equi (Mehlhorn and Schine, 1998). Molecular phylogenetic investigations indicated that the organism possesses characteristics of both babesia and theileria lineages, possibly placing it between the two (Allsopp et al.,