Piroplasmosis

[Freda]

I'm not a vet, or an epidemiologist, so I'm hoping someone can provide advice here.

The mare in question, imported from France early last year, had ( as I understand from the release from Cambridge Stud )  provided three negative tests prior to importation.

Now, a year later, shows two positive tests.

The inference  has to be, following on, that she became infected here.  Is there any other possible scenario?

 

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, Freda said:

The inference  has to be, following on, that she became infected here.  Is there any other possible scenario?

The vector for transmission is a Tick.  Supposedly we don't have them in NZ.

So the most likely reason is that the first test results were false negatives before it arrived OR the latest tests are false positives.

[curious]

12 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

The vector for transmission is a Tick.  Supposedly we don't have them in NZ.

So the most likely reason is that the first test results were false negatives before it arrived OR the latest tests are false positives.

Or ... that NZ has a piroplasmosis vector which has never been tested before, though that would mean that the disease was already here unbeknown to anyone.

I note that there can be non-equine hosts including dogs.

Edited May 23, 2020 by curious

[Chief Stipe]

10 minutes ago, curious said:

Or ... that NZ has a piroplasmosis vector which has never been tested before, though that would mean that the disease was already here unbeknown to anyone.

I note that there can be non-equine hosts including dogs.

Well I bet MPI don't take the Mycoplasma cull the herd approach of that's the case.

[curious]

18 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Well I bet MPI don't take the Mycoplasma cull the herd approach of that's the case.

No. But it seems a fairly extensive investigation will be necessary to rule out both the above possibilities.

 

[Chief Stipe]

20 minutes ago, curious said:

No. But it seems a fairly extensive investigation will be necessary to rule out both the above possibilities.

 

But the only way it could be transferred between a horse and a dog is by the Tick vector or dirty needles.

You would have expected the mare to be displaying some signs of infection.

I'd say a false positive.  Aren't imported mares from Europe kept in quarantine for a period of time?

[curious]

11 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

But the only way it could be transferred between a horse and a dog is by the Tick vector or dirty needles.

You would have expected the mare to be displaying some signs of infection.

I'd say a false positive.  Aren't imported mares from Europe kept in quarantine for a period of time?

2 false positives? Don't think there's any quarantine on arrival. Never used to be. And this is a year aafter import as I understand it so, 3 false negatives prior to import now 2 false positives a year later? Seems a bit of a stretch to me.

[Freda]

46 minutes ago, curious said:

No. But it seems a fairly extensive investigation will be necessary to rule out both the above possibilities.

 

Yes...and given that MPI don't seem to be overly pro-active in many cases,  this may be quite an on-going saga.

[All The Aces]

1 hour ago, curious said:

2 false positives? Don't think there's any quarantine on arrival. Never used to be. And this is a year aafter import as I understand it so, 3 false negatives prior to import now 2 false positives a year later? Seems a bit of a stretch to me.

The mare would have been quarantined and tested for piro upon arrival in NZ. 

[curious]

1 hour ago, All The Aces said:

The mare would have been quarantined and tested for piro upon arrival in NZ. 

Ok. Thanks. That's even worse then.

[curious]

1 hour ago, All The Aces said:

The mare would have been quarantined and tested for piro upon arrival in NZ. 

Where did she come from?

Just looking at the MPI regs, if she were quarantined on arrival it would only be if she came from a country where the below are present. I also don't see any requirement to test for piro during that quarantine? Or post-arrival?

(3)When equids are to be imported into New Zealand from countries where the diseases listed below are considered present,the duration and type of PAQ is stated in brackets:

a)Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) if considered by MPI as moderately to highly prevalent in the country of export (minimum 7 day PAQ)

b)Equine influenza (minimum 14 day PAQ)

c)Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (minimum 7 day PAQ)

d)Surra (minimum 30 day PAQ protected from insect vectors)

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/36951-equids-import-health-standard

Edited May 23, 2020 by curious

[All The Aces]

All horses coming into NZ have to be quarantined except those arriving from Australia. Even if she had come in from Australia she would have been quarantined there after arriving from France.

Horses travelling between NZ and Australia all have blood tests prior to travelling too.   

[All The Aces]

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1706/direct

 

 

[curious]

16 minutes ago, All The Aces said:

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1706/direct

 

 

Gotit. Ta.

Seems like we have a serious problem Houston.

Edited May 24, 2020 by curious

[Chief Stipe]

14 minutes ago, curious said:

Gotit. Ta.

Seems like we have a serious problem Houston.

What species of Piroplasmid were they infected with?

Forget that question - found it in the original article - Theileria equi

[curious]

21 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

What species of Piroplasmid were they infected with?

Forget that question - found it in the original article - Theileria equi

Who do you mean by 'they'?

 

[Chief Stipe]

2 minutes ago, curious said:

Who do you mean by 'they'?

 

I meant "it".

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, curious said:

Gotit. Ta.

Seems like we have a serious problem Houston.

Not necessarily.  Depends on what tests were done there and here.  The negatives in France could have been valid because it is hard to detect in early infection.

False positives do happen.  However two positive tests would indicate it has the protozoan.

Interestingly the bovine species of Theileria sp. is widely present in New Zealand dairy cattle but doesn't infect horses.  Didn't realise we had cattle ticks in New Zealand!!!!

Here's the kicker though......the cattle tick MAY be able to act as vector for T. equi.

[Freda]

3 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Not necessarily.  Depends on what tests were done there and here.  The negatives in France could have been valid because it is hard to detect in early infection.

False positives do happen.  However two positive tests would indicate it has the protozoan.

Interestingly the bovine species of Theileria sp. is widely present in New Zealand dairy cattle but doesn't infect horses.  Didn't realise we had cattle ticks in New Zealand!!!!

Can't say I gave cattle much thought...but given the close proximity of both species on many properties it isn't too big a stretch to consider that transmission may occur, even if previously thought impossible.

Evolution is ongoing, it hasn't stopped just because we think we're at the top if the heap .

Certainly horse ticks have been here for ages.

[curious]

36 minutes ago, Freda said:

Can't say I gave cattle much thought...but given the close proximity of both species on many properties it isn't too big a stretch to consider that transmission may occur,

They can even transmit cobalt from sharing water troughs between species.

 

[Freda]

6 minutes ago, curious said:

They can even transmit cobalt from sharing water troughs between species.

 

Oh, yeah...!  So they can...but an evolving situation makes more sense to me!

[All The Aces]

I reckon out bound flights will resume late this week or early next week. 

[Dark Beau]

On 24/05/2020 at 8:58 AM, curious said:

2 false positives? Don't think there's any quarantine on arrival. Never used to be. And this is a year aafter import as I understand it so, 3 false negatives prior to import now 2 false positives a year later? Seems a bit of a stretch to me.

A bit like the Virgin Mary’s miraculous birth of Jesus Christ!

It just happened!
 

[All The Aces]

23 hours ago, All The Aces said:

I reckon out bound flights will resume late this week or early next week. 

 

Starting this Sunday.