Piroplasmosis

Question 1

Cause of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 1

Theileria equi

Babesia cabali

Question 2

ID the structure and the causative parasite

Answer 2

Maltese-cross

Theileria equi

Question 3

ID the parasite

(blood smear of a horse)

Answer 3

Babesia caballi

Question 4

Vectors of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 4

Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi

Rhipicephalus bursa

Hyalomma rufipes / truncatum

Question 5

ID this vector of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 5

R. evertsi evertsi

Question 6

ID this vector of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 6

R. bursa

Question 7

ID this vector of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 7

Hyalomma truncatum

Question 8

ID this vector of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 8

Hyalomma rufipes

Question 9

History:

Pyrexic horse with anaemia / icterus and discoloured urine

Dehydration, tachycardia, tachypnea and sweating

Most likely diagnosis

Answer 9

Equine piroplasmosis

T. equi - more severe signs than B. caballi

Question 10

Diagnosis of suspect equine piroplasmosis

Answer 10

Peripheral blood smear; Microscopic demonstration of the parasite in the acute phase of the disease

Definitice diagnosis:

Serological testing recommended - Compliment fixation tes

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Question 11

Treatment of diagnosed equine piroplamosis

Answer 11

Imidocarb diproprionate (Forray65: 2.2mg/kg IM q24)

• not 4mg/kg because you do not want to sterilise the infection
• only give another dose if still necessary after 48hrs indicated on a CBC

Butylscopolamine (Buscopan 0.3mg/kg IV) - not the compositum

• to prevent possible colic from imidocarb

Question 13

Prevention of equine piroplasmosis

Answer 13

Acaricides / dip

Flumethrin (Bayticol) - dip