Equine piroplasmosis: an emerging tick-borne threat to equine health.

Equine piroplasmosisis a tick-borne haemoprotozoan disease of equine population (horses, mules, donkeys and zebras) caused either by T. equi or B. caballi. Clinically it is characterized by pyrexia, hemolytic anemia and jaundice. Intravascular hemolysis and development of oxidative stress are key pathological alterations. Disease is endemic in almost all part of world (tropical, subtropical, temperate regions) except some courtiers which are EP free like US, UK, Northern Europe, Iceland and New Zealand. These countries follow strict quarantine measures and T. equi infection leads to development of seropositive horse lifetime while B. caballi infection can lead to carrier state for next few years. Significant economic loss occurs in the form of treatment cost, loss of foetus, reduced performance, mortality and restriction in animal’s movement. Diagnosis can be made on the basis of typical clinical signs, optical microscopy, serology and molecular diagnosis. Currently cELISA is an OIE recommended test for international movement of horses in EP free countries. Conventional drug therapy includes use of Imidocarb dipropionate for both T. equi and B. Caballi. Other alternate therapies involve use of oxytetracycline, buparvaquone, amicarbalide and various drug combinations. Since no vaccine is available till now, effective tick control strategies, early diagnosis and treatment of disease, application of advance therapy remains the only way to control EP now days.