Improvement of production and quality of antigens for confirmatory Western blot for equine piroplasmosis

Funding period: 2023-2025

Lead: Vladislav Lobanov

Total GRDI funding: $34,000

Two blood-borne parasites, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, are causative agents of equine piroplasmosis (EP), a reportable foreign animal disease in Canada. The impact of this disease on the equine industry is significant, making the need for effective testing methods crucial. Historically, primary screening serological assays for B. caballi generated considerably higher rates of false-positive test results than those for T. equi. Ruling out such test results could be expedited by confirmatory testing using a reliable ancillary method. However, fully validated confirmatory assays (such as Western blot) are lacking for the regulatory screening of imported or exported horses using indirect fluorescent antibody or cELISA tests. Therefore, this project aims to optimize and standardize a confirmatory serological assay for B. caballi by improving the production and quality of a critical reagent used in this method, potentially streamlining EP testing at CFIA.