{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T22:08:06Z","timestamp":1766182086144,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,3]],"date-time":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1680480000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Besnoitia is a tissue cyst forming coccidia, which affects multiple host species worldwide. Equine besnoitiosis is characterized mainly by generalized skin lesions and cysts in the scleral conjunctiva. Recent reports revealed exposure to Besnoitia in equines in Europe and the United States. However, the exposure to Besnoitia spp. in the Israeli equine population was never investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for besnoitiosis in equids in Israel. A cross-sectional serosurvey was performed using serum samples of apparently healthy horses (n = 347), donkeys (n = 98), and mules (n = 6), and exposure to Besnoitia spp. was determined by an immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Anti-Besnoitia spp. antibodies were detected in 17.7% equids, 6.9% horses, 33.3% mules, and 55.1% donkeys. The seroprevalence in donkeys was significantly higher than in horses (p &lt; 0.001). A significant association between the geographic location and seropositivity was found both in horses and donkeys, which was significantly higher (p = 0.004) in horses sampled in southern Israel, and donkeys sampled in Israel versus the Palestinian Authority (p &lt; 0.001). This is the first serosurvey of Besnoitia infection in equines in Israel, and the results are consistent with reports from Europe. The clinical significance of equine besnoitiosis should be further investigated.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11040929","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,3]],"date-time":"2023-04-03T03:32:59Z","timestamp":1680492779000},"page":"929","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["First Detection of Anti-Besnoitia spp. Antibodies in Equids in Israel and the Palestinian Authority"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Noa","family":"Berman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3810-8418","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sharon","family":"Tirosh-Levy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"},{"name":"Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 5025004, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0984-6822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amir","family":"Steinman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Avital","family":"Minderigiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Elena","family":"Blinder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 5025004, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5357-0136","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monica","family":"Leszkowicz Mazuz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 5025004, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1078\/S1434-4610(04)70031-0","article-title":"Molecular phylogeny of Besnoitia and the genetic relationships among Besnoitia of cattle, wildebeest and goats","volume":"151","author":"Ellis","year":"2000","journal-title":"Protist"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1406","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182014000262","article-title":"A review on bovine besnoitiosis: A disease with economic impact in herd health management, caused by Besnoitia besnoiti (Franco and Borges)","volume":"141","author":"Cortes","year":"2014","journal-title":"Parasitology"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2010.08.013","article-title":"Bovine besnoitiosis: Epidemiological and clinical aspects","volume":"174","author":"Jacquiet","year":"2010","journal-title":"Vet. 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