Premium
Borrelia burgdorferi infection in UK horses
Author(s) -
CARTER S. D.,
MAY C.,
BARNES A.,
BENNETT D.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04367.x
Subject(s) - borrelia burgdorferi , lyme disease , incidence (geometry) , antibody , medicine , lyme , immunology , leptospira , virology , biology , leptospirosis , physics , optics
Summary Antibody levels (IgG and IgM) to Borrelia burgdorferi were measured in the sera and synovial fluids of UK horses. Western blotting against B. burgdorferi was also used on samples from seropositive horses. A low incidence of seropositivity was shown in horses from most parts of the UK. This increased in areas that have a high incidence of human and canine borreliosis (Norfolk and south coast). Leptospira infections of horses did not cause cross reactions in the B. burgdorferi ELISA. Most horses did not display clinical signs of Lyme disease. As with dogs and man, it is apparent that B. burgdorferi infection occurs in horses in the UK but clinical Lyme disease is uncommon.