A field evaluation of PCR for the routine detection of Babesia equi in horses

We report on a study that evaluated the usefulness of PCR for the routine detection of Babesia equi in horses. The blood from a total of 105 horses comprising both sick and apparently healthy animals were examined for the presence of B. equi using both Wright-Giemsa-stained blood smears and PCR. Microscopic analysis of Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed 10/105 animals positive for Babesia, compared to 16/105 for the primary PCR and 36/105 for the nested PCR. Three of the 10 samples positive by Wright-Giemsa-stain were negative by PCR for B. equi. However, evidence is presented that these samples contained B. caballi and not B. equi. The Wright-Giemsa-stain was shown to identify Babesia in mostly clinically ill animals while the nested PCR detected the organism in a large number of apparently healthy animals. The results of this study suggest that the nested PCR is superior to both Wright-Giemsa-stained and primary PCR methods, and should be considered for the routine detection of B. equi in both healthy and clinically ill horses.