Lawsonia intracellularis, the bacterium which causes equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) mostly in young horses, can result in thickening segments of small intestines and sometimes large intestines. L. intracellularis does not grow in routine aerobic/anaerobic culture and can only grow in vitro (in the laboratory) in cell culture, which is not practical.

Clinical signs include depression, anorexia, fever, peripheral edema, hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, weight loss, colic, and diarrhea in affected foals. Early clinical signs are generally nonspecific and include mild depression, partial anorexia, and fever.

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