Korean J Parasitol.  2016 Feb;54(1):97-101. 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.1.97.

Serological Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi among Horses in Korea

• Lee SH
• Yun SH
• Choi E
• Park YS
• Lee SE
• Cho GJ
• Kwon OD
• Kwak D

• KMID: 2374025
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2016.54.1.97

Abstract

Lyme disease is a tick-borne zoonotic infectious disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. The present study assessed the infection status of B. burgdorferi among horses reared in Korea using ELISA and PCR. Between 2009 and 2013, blood samples were collected from 727 horses throughout Korea. Data for each animal including age, gender, breed, and region of sample collection were used for epidemiological analysis. Overall, 38 (5.2%; true prevalence: 5.5%) of 727 horses were seropositive by ELISA. There were statistically significant differences according to breed and region (P<0.001) whose differences might be attributed to the ecology of vector ticks and climate conditions. Using 2 nested PCR, none of the samples tested positive for B. burgdorferi. Thus, a positive ELISA result can indicate only that the tested horse was previously exposed to B. burgdorferi, with no certainty over the time of exposure. Since global warming is likely to increase the abundance of ticks in Korea, continuous monitoring of tick-borne diseases in Korean horses is needed.

Keyword

Borrelia burgdorferi; equine; ELISA; PCR; serology

MeSH Terms

Animals
Antibodies, Bacterial/blood
Borrelia burgdorferi/*physiology
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary
Female
Horse Diseases/*epidemiology
Horses
Lyme Disease/epidemiology/*veterinary
Male
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Antibodies, Bacterial