The nomination by the OIE reinforces the international and reference activities of the PhEED unit. The Normandy site is already a national and European reference laboratory for several equine diseases, including dourine. The latter is caused by a parasite, Trypanosoma equiperdum, which is sexually transmitted. The first signs of the disease include edema, particularly genital edema, severe anemia, and significant weight loss. The parasite can then pass into the nervous system, causing in particular progressive muscular paralysis. These symptoms cause the death of the equine in half of the cases. There is currently no effective treatment for the disease. The solution used to prevent its spread is therefore the slaughter of infected horses. Thanks to this protocol, no case of dourine has been reported in France since the 1950s. Cases did, however, occur in Italy in 2011, underscoring the need to continue monitoring the spread of the parasite.
Global expertise
The activities of the PhEED unit on dourine are already recognized internationally: it provides antigens and control sera necessary for the diagnosis of the disease. As a reference laboratory, the team may need to analyze samples sent by other countries, to confirm or not the suspicions of dourine. The unit also has a training role in diagnostic methods and performance control of laboratories responsible for detecting dourine. Finally, its expertise can be called upon on any subject related to the disease, particularly in the event of an epidemic. These missions are already exercised by the unit at the national and European level, and will henceforth be carried out at the global level.
Research to understand the parasite that could benefit human health
Alongside these expertise activities, the PhEED unit conducts research to better understand the parasites that cause dourine and other related diseases. This is notably the case of surra and nagana, two diseases that affect animals and are caused by parasites of the genus Trypanosoma, such as dourine. The pathogen responsible for sleeping sickness in humans is another representative of this genus. A collaboration is underway with the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, to pool knowledge on these animal and human diseases.