Prevalence of Trypanosoma evansi in Jeneponto Regency Shows Variation in Detection among Methods

Abstract

HistorySurra, a vector-borne disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi, poses a persistent threat to equine health and productivity.This study aimed to establish the prevalence of T. evansi among horses in Jeneponto Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, by systematically comparing the diagnostic performance of parasitological, serological, and multi-target molecular assays.In this exploratory laboratory study conducted from February to October 2025, blood samples were collected from 100 horses.Diagnostic protocols included native and Giemsastained blood smear examination, the card agglutination trypanosomiasis test (CATT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).The molecular analysis targeted three distinct genetic markers: the expression-site-associated gene (ESAG), Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1), and the repetitive satellite DNA sequence, TBR1-2.Serological screening (CATT) indicated a positivity rate of 31%.Interestingly, molecular detection targeting single/low-copy genes (ESAG and ITS1) yielded results identical to serology (31%).In contrast, PCR amplification of the repetitive satellite DNA target (TBR1-2) demonstrated a higher detection rate, detecting T. evansi DNA in 51% of the population.The prevalence of T. evansi in Jeneponto horses varies significantly, depending on diagnostic sensitivity (31%-51%).This study confirms that while ESAG and ITS1 markers align with serological data, the TBR1-2 primer set offers the highest sensitivity for detecting active, potentially low-parasitemia infections.Consequently, TBR1-2 is recommended as the primary tool for molecular epidemiological surveillance in this region.

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