Molecular Epidemiology of Taylorella Equigenitalis Infections
Summary
Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), poses a persistent threat to equine breeding worldwide. Molecular epidemiology integrates high-resolution genotyping, whole-genome sequencing and advanced phylogenetic analyses to trace transmission pathways, detect emerging resistance and inform control strategies. Surveillance relies increasingly on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays for rapid detection, while multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core genome MLST (cgMLST) delineate strain relationships and spatio-temporal clusters. Whole-genome sequencing further supports molecular dating, revealing the evolutionary rate of the pathogen and pinpointing the emergence of streptomycin resistance. Environmental and host-reservoir studies suggest survival beyond the genital tract, highlighting potential indirect transmission routes. Together, these tools refine outbreak investigations, guide biosecurity recommendations and underpin surveillance networks that safeguard international horse movement and breeding programmes.
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Molecular Epidemiology of Taylorella Equigenitalis Infections publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular epidemiology of taylorella equigenitalis infections across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Contagious equine metritis (CEM): A sexually transmitted infection of equids caused by Taylorella equigenitalis, leading to endometritis and temporary infertility.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR): A molecular assay that amplifies and quantifies specific DNA sequences, used for rapid pathogen detection.
Multilocus sequence typing (MLST): An allele-based genotyping method that examines several housekeeping genes to assign isolates to sequence types.
Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST): An expansion of MLST that analyses a large set of conserved genes across the core genome for finer discrimination among strains.
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS): The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s genome, enabling comprehensive phylogenetic and resistance analyses.
References
- Survival of taylorellae in the environmental amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. BMC Microbiology (2014).
- Core genome multilocus sequence typing analysis of Finnish Taylorella equigenitalis isolates. Veterinary Microbiology (2023).
- Prevalence of Taylorella equigenitalis in Icelandic mares and geldings in Southern Germany and Austria. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2024).
- Taylorella equigenitalis in Icelandic intact males compared with other horse breeds using natural cover. Equine Veterinary Journal (2024).
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