Find out more about

PIROPLASMOSIS

Here are the most important facts you should be aware of: before exporting a horse outside of Europe you should be sure if your country does not follow a piroplasmosis free policy.

A big part of the horses presented at Lusitano World website are already tested for Piroplasmosis. By selecting the button of ‘Piroplasmosis free’ you make sure in your search will only appear piro-free horses. You can also confirm this status on each specific horse page details. Please be aware that, even if horses have been already tested, you need to re-test as a purchase condition.


PIRO FAQ's

Below you can find some FAQ's about Piroplasmosis. Feel free to contact our team to know more.

Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), is a disease of horses and other equids, is caused by one of two protozoan parasites: Theileria equi or Babesia caballi. These organisms can be transmitted by ticks or through contaminated blood from infected horses. Piroplasmosis is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas including Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe, such as Portugal and Spain. Therefore, many of the horse born in these areas test positive to Piroplasmosis.

To prevent the spread of the Equine Piroplasmosis there have been introduced some International restrictions for importing horses into some of the countries that are not considered to endemic, even if some cases of EP have appeared in some of these countries. So if you plan to export your horse outside Europe, Lusitano World team always advises you to check your country's exportation policy. Some of the countries who follow a ‘PIRO-FREE POLICY’ are: USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, China, Thailand and Mexico. You don’t know what is your country’s policy? Ask us more: horses@lusitanoworld.com

Every horse has to be tested by sending blood to an internationally approved blood testing lab. Lusitano World recommends Bose Lab in Germany. Results take from 2 to 5 days, have a cost of around 200€, and allow you to confirm if the horse is positive or negative to Piroplasmosis. Positive horses can be identified by testing their sera for the presence of specific antibodies for both Babesia Caballi and Theileria equi. Currently, there are 3 primary tests used for qualifying horses for exportation: (1) indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT); competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C- ELISA) and the (3) complement fixation test (CFT). Horses must show a percentage below 30% to all tests to be considered negative, and therefore fitting the Piroplasmosis exportation criteria.

About Us

Lusitano World offers a combination of services dedicated to promote the Lusitano Horse worldwide and to highlight the richness of Portuguese equestrian culture. Visit our website and follow our social media platforms to find out what we can offer.

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00351 962 103 954