Diagnosing EPM in a live horse is challenging because no test is 100% accurate; the gold standard for diagnosis is finding the protozoan parasite in the spinal cord, which can only be sampled after the horse is euthanized. So for live horses, diagnos
Dr. Amy Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton talks about the challenges of diagnosing EPM. (2:59)
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a bit like a rock star: highly Googled, morbidly fascinating, yet oftentimes completely misunderstood.
Being able to tell the difference between a mild lameness and subtle spinal ataxia is an important, yet challenging, endeavor in equine practice. Ohio State researchers recently reported that kinetic gait analysis–the computer
Reed believes that future goals for managing neurologic disease in horses should be to decrease mortality and improve outcomes. This would be best achieved by developing improved diagnostic tools to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an infection of the brain and spinal cord of horses by single-celled parasites known as protozoa. EPM, which is the most commonly diagnosed neurological disorder in horses, can be a permanently
Nearly 900 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “Do you take any steps to limit opossums around your farm to reduce the chance your horses will get EPM?”
Stephen M. Reed, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, will deliver the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture on Dec. 8 during the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 54th Annual Convention in San Diego, Calif. Equine neurology is the focus of this year’s
Researchers at the University of Florida studying equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) recently found that administering ponazuril once every seven days might prevent EPM caused by Sarcocystis neurona.
Equine protozoal
Charlie (not his real name) had been a patient at our clinic on several occasions. He was always gentle and cooperative as we tried to determine what was causing his curious collection of clinical signs. He had tolerated everything from the obvious
What have we learned about equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) since it first was reported in 1995? A lot, and not enough. EPM has been called the “most overdiagnosed neurologic disease in the United States” by some researchers and
To understand the best approach to treating equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), it is helpful to have a brief look at how the protozoa (single-celled parasites) that cause EPM–Sarcocystis neurona–enter the central nervous system.
The best way to keep your horses healthy is prevent them from getting sick. Sounds absurdly simple, right? In theory, this works. But in the real world of trying to protect horse
Could EPM be causing your horse’s performance to be just a little off? Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) continues to be an elusive disease to prevent, diagnose, and treat in horses. In this special collection of three articles
More than 1,300 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “Have horses close to you experienced EPM?”
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
