Authors: Vera Elena, Taddei Simone, Cavirani Sandro, Schiavi Jennifer, Angelone Mario, Cabassi Clotilde S, Schiano Emiliana, Quintavalla Fausto
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Leptospirosis Seroprevalence in Bardigiano Horses A cross-sectional serological survey of 134 Bardigiano horses across 43 farms in Parma, Northern Italy, used microscopic agglutination testing (MAT) to determine exposure to seven Leptospira serovars and identify associated risk factors. Two-thirds of horses (67.2%) and 95.3% of farms tested seropositive to at least one serovar, with Bratislava being most prevalent (41.8%), followed by Canicola (36.6%) and Tarassovi (28.4%); notably, over half of seropositive horses carried antibodies to multiple serovars, and 15.7% exhibited high titre responses (≥1000), suggesting active or recent infection. Adult horses showed significantly higher seroprevalence than younger animals, and farms without active rodent control programmes demonstrated notably elevated infection rates, though housing type and sex had no significant influence on exposure risk. Because the vast majority of infections appeared subclinical—with affected horses showing no recorded clinical signs—this high seroprevalence may escape routine detection, creating a potential reservoir of infection within herds and emphasising the need for targeted biosecurity measures, particularly rodent management and serological screening protocols for horses in endemic regions where clinical disease goes unrecognised.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Bardigiano horses in this region have very high exposure to Leptospira; practitioners should maintain awareness of leptospirosis as a potential health threat even when subclinical
- •Rodent control on farms is a modifiable risk factor—implementing pest management may reduce infection pressure in horse populations
- •Older horses show higher seropositivity; this likely reflects cumulative exposure over time rather than age-specific susceptibility
Key Findings
- •Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. was 67.2% (90/134 horses) and 95.3% (41/43 farms) in Bardigiano horses in Northern Italy
- •Serovar Bratislava was most frequently detected (41.8%), followed by Canicola (36.6%) and Tarassovi (28.4%)
- •Adult horses had significantly higher seroprevalence than younger animals, and farms lacking rodent control had higher prevalence (p=0.006 and p=0.025 respectively)
- •Most infections were subclinical; 53.3% of seropositive horses had multiple serovar exposures indicating repeated or ongoing exposure risk