Lawsonia intracellularis is being forced out of hiding and its secrets extracted largely because of the intense research efforts of scientists like Nicola Pusterla, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, and his colleagues at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Minnesota, St. Paul.

The gram negative bacterium L. intracellularis is the causative agent of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), an emerging and devastating disease of weanling foals.

"The bacterium lives freely inside the cells lining the intestine causing these cells, called enterocytes, to proliferate. Over time, the intestines become thick leading to reduced absorption of nutrient and loss of protein," explained Pusterla.

Affected foals (typically 4-9 months old) are lethargic, febrile, have weight loss, diarrhea, colic, and low protein (albumin) levels in their blood