Introduction:

Equine piroplasmosis is a notifiable disease. It is caused by two different parasites, Theilera equi and Babesia caballi, each of which displays different clinical and immunological features. Their natural vectors are ticks of different species.

Objectives:

To analyze the seroprevalence of equine piroplasmosis over time, differentiating the two etiological agents.

Material and methods:

Serum samples from mares from the Equine Breeding Center of Mazcuerras (Cantabria) obtained in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Serum antibody analysis was performed with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results:

The study shows that 84.37% of the animals analyzed are seropositive to one or both etiological agents of equine piroplasmosis. In addition, a significant increase in seropositivity was observed between 2010 and 2014, from a 65.51% seroprevalence in 2010 to 95.56% in 2014 and 89.48% in 2018. The seroprevalence for T. equi has progressively increased during the studied period. B. caballi only increased from 2010 to 2014, as a slight decrease was observed in 2018.

Conclusion:

T. equi is increasing its presence in northern latitudes of Spain. This is reflected in the progressive seropositivity increase observed over the years in the Equine Breeding Center of Mazcuerras in Cantabria.