Abstract

Trypanosoma equiperdum is a protozoan parasite that causes the sexually transmitted disease known as "dourine" in horses. This chronic illness is spread directly from one animal to another during mating. Doflein proposed the name T. equiperdum in 1901. Despite being distributed all across the world, the broad use of artificial insemination technology over the past three decades has resulted in only a small number of cases being documented. The condition is typically deadly and is marked by gradual emaciation, nervous system involvement, and edematous lesions of the genitals. There are wide variations in the incubation period between exposure and the onset of clinical symptoms; it can range from a few weeks to several years. The diagnosis of dourine can be challenging because of things like a lack of knowledge about the parasite and host-parasite interactions following infection, but in reality, the diagnosis is based on clinical evidence backed by molecular and serological testing. Coital exanthema, surra, infectious anemia in horses, viral arthritis in horses, and purulent endometritis causes such infectious equine metritis are examples of differential diagnosis. The only trypanosomiasis that is not spread by an insect vector is dourin. Treatment is generally not advised in dourine-free areas due to the possibility of asymptomatic carrier animals and the concern that treated animals may continue to spread the disease. The dourine vaccination does not yet exist. Thus, preventing dourine is dependent on achieving an infection-free status, which is accomplished by checking the blood for T. equiperdum antibodies.

Key words: Dourine; Equine; Neglected disease; Sexually transmitted disease; T. equiperdum.