Reports have been circulating that there is a disease similar to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) occurring in Australia. In a correspondence, Nigel Perkins, BVSc, MS, Dipl. ACT, FACVSc, of the private consulting firm AusVet Animal Health Services, said, “Between March-November 2004, a number of mares in the Hunter Valley region and in Queensland suffered abortions due to a similar disease process. A small number of farms suffered devastating losses (15 of 25 mares on one farm), while most affected farms had one or two cases. Preliminary data indicate that between 15-20 separate farms may have been affected.”

He has termed this problem equine amnionitis and fetal loss (EAFL).

John Freestone, DVM, Dipl. ACT, resident veterinarian at Coolmore, Australia, said, “I can talk with confidence about the situation on Coolmore, and over the last season we had less placentitis and abortion than in any of the past five years.”

It was noted that there are similarities between EAFL and MRLS in that pathologists have found amnionitis and infection of the amniotic portion of the umbilical cord. However, there have been no widespread abortions throughout all the gestational stages in Australia as there were in the United States in 2001 and 2002. Some Australian veterinarians are reluctant to put a label on this problem at this time