Determination of borrelia burgdorferi in equestrianism horses in İstanbul by elisa and western blot methods

This study aimed to investigate the presence of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi in equestrian horses in Istanbul. Blood samples were collected from 138 horses of different genders, breeds, ages, and coat colors in accordance with the Regulation on the Identification and Traceability of Equidae. The samples were analyzed at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa, using ELISA as a screening test and Western Blot as a confirmatory test. The ELISA results revealed that six sera were positive and two had borderline (suspected) values. Based on the ELISA findings, the seroprevalence was determined to be 4.34% (6/138). The study determined that the five samples identified as positive by the ELISA method were obtained from horses in the Sarıyer district, one positive sample was from the Çatalca district, and the two suspected samples were collected from horses in the Beykoz district. However, the Western Blot tests performed on the eight samples identified as positive or suspected by ELISA showed that all samples were negative. As a result of the two-stage testing process, no antibodies against B. burgdorferi were detected in any of the 138 blood sera The results demonstrated that ELISA is not a specific test on its own and that positive results detected by ELISA must be confirmed with more specific tests, such as Western Blot.. The lack of positive results in the study was attributed to the living standards of the horse population from which the samples were collected. These horses belonged to a population with high living standards, bred for hobby purposes, well-cared and subjected to preventive veterinary practices, such as antiparasitic treatments, which effectively prevented the establishment of parasites associated with the disease under investigation.