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Equine Haemoparasites at a Nigerian Polo Tournament: Prevalence and Handler Practices

Article

Last updated: 03 Jan 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Veterinary Diseases (Fish diseases, Poultry diseases, Infectious disea…imal diseases, Internal medicine, Laboratory and clinical diagnosis).

Abstract

Haemoparasitic infections in horses are caused by microorganisms that live either inside or outside cells in the bloodstream. There is a dearth of data on the prevalence of haemoparasitic infections, specifically among horses participating in polo tournaments, where the gathering of horses from various regions could facilitate transmission of these infections. Hence, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of equine haemoparasites, risk factors, and knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of horse handlers during a polo tournament in Jos, Plateau State. Blood samples were collected from 120 polo horses and examined for haemoparasite via microscopy. Also, a structured questionnaire was administered to horse handlers to assess their KAP towards haemoparasitic infection. The overall prevalence was 51.7%, with Anaplasma marginale being the most common (45.2%), followed by Theileria equi (24.2%), Trypanosoma spp. (12.9%), Babesia caballi (9.7%), and Anaplasma centrale (8.1%). Risk factors significantly associated with higher odds of infection included being a stallion (OR=10, p=0.050), age 5–15 years (OR=2.8, p=0.008), Sudanese Country-Bred breed (OR=3.62, p=0.001), and horses from Kano (OR=5.7, p=0.013), Katsina (OR=5.3, p=0.003), and Zaria (OR=7.1, p=0.037) compared to Abuja. A KAP survey of 58 horse handlers revealed 75.9% had satisfactory knowledge, 96.6% had a satisfactory attitude, but only 31% had satisfactory practices regarding haemoparasitic infections. Gaps existed in recognising haemoparasite names, transmission routes, regular monitoring, and implementing preventive measures. The findings highlight the high burden of haemoparasitic infections among polo horses. There is a need for interventions, such as handler education programmes and improved biosecurity practices, in Nigeria's polo industry.

DOI

10.21608/svu.2024.303767.1332

Keywords

Babesia, Microscopy, Welfare

Authors

First Name

Emmanuel

Last Name

Edeh

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Nigeria

Email

iuraaqrr@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Olumide

Last Name

Akinniyi

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Email

olumide.akinniyi@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Jerry

Last Name

Chomo

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Nigeria

Email

olumide.akinniyi@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

David

Last Name

Omoniwa

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Nigeria

Email

davido12az@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Gloria

Last Name

Karaye

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Jos, Nigeria

Email

gloriakazzyeasq@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Derek

Last Name

Vungmo

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture Zuru, Zuru, Nigeria

Email

derekderekk@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Philip

Last Name

Mshelia

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Email

polumidemsheliawayut@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

Volume

7

Article Issue

3

Related Issue

46935

Issue Date

2024-09-01

Receive Date

2024-07-12

Publish Date

2024-09-01

Page Start

24

Page End

35

Print ISSN

2535-1826

Online ISSN

2535-1877

Link

https://svu.journals.ekb.eg/article_376114.html

Detail API

https://svu.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=376114

Order

376,114

Type

Research article

Type Code

712

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

SVU-International Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Publication Link

https://svu.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Equine Haemoparasites at a Nigerian Polo Tournament: Prevalence and Handler Practices

Details

Type

Article

Created At

24 Dec 2024