European Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Test for Dourine Antibody Detection Using the Complement Fixation Test.

Dourine is a sexually transmitted parasitic disease affecting equids. Its causative agent is referred to as and the prescribed serodiagnosis method is the complement fixation test (CFT). In the context of our European Reference Laboratory mandate for equine diseases (excluding African horse sickness), we organised dourine CFT inter-laboratory proficiency tests (ILPTs) in 2015, 2018 and 2022 to evaluate the performance of the European Union network of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for dourine.

Development of a microsphere-based immunoassay for the serological diagnosis of equine trypanosomosis.

Trypanozoon infections in equids are caused by three parasite species in the Trypanozoon subgenus: Trypanosoma equiperdum, T. brucei and T. evansi.

Molecular detection of 7SL-derived small RNA is a promising alternative for trypanosomosis diagnosis.

Equine trypanosomosis comprises different parasitic diseases caused by protozoa of the subgenus Trypanozoon: Trypanosoma equiperdum (causative agent of dourine), Trypanosoma brucei (nagana) and Trypanosoma evansi (surra). Due to the absence of a vaccine and the lack of efficacy of the few available drugs, these diseases represent a major health and economic problem for international equine trade. Development of affordable, sensitive and specific diagnostic tests is therefore crucial to ensure the control of these diseases.