While West Nile virus continues to dominate headlines when it comes to equine health, researchers are working to unlock the mysteries of that other, not-quite-so-new disease–equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). High on the list is understanding the life cycle of the disease.

“Knowing about the life cycle is important because it would allow us to more effectively test treatment methods, to test preventive methods like vaccines, and to have a model to study exactly why one horse gets the disease and another horse doesn’t,” explains EPM researcher Martin Furr, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor of internal medicine at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Medical Center.

Researchers are also investigating diagnoses, treatments, and prevention, all in the hope of getting a better handle on addressing EPM