Results from a recent study on equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM)–a progressive neurological disease–identified three factors that increase a horse’s risk of infection: living with cats, use for Western performance or racing, and age
Shivers has been recognized by horse owners for more than a century and refers to a chronic nervous or neuromuscular condition that in a 1962 text was said to be “as common as dirt.” This statement referred to the period when draft horse populations
Horses need to be serviceably sound and safe to ride to fulfill their functions. It is no wonder that equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) has been a dreaded disease ever since its rise to prominence in the 1990s, because horses with neurologic
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is one of the most common treatable neurological diseases of American horses and is caused by the apicomplexan protozoan Sarcocystis neurona. This protozoan penetrates the central nervous system,
The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center presented “Equine Neurological Issues Over the Life Course” during its first Tuesday Talk session of the season. The seminar, which was held in Leesburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, featured Martin O.
Researchers have puzzled over how Sarcocystis neurona, the single-celled protozoan parasite notorious for causing equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), travels from the intestine, through the blood-brain barrier, and into the centra
About a year and a half ago, my horse was diagnosed with EPM, which he was treated for. Now he’s having hock issues.
Scientists have shown the protozoan parasite that causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) might enter the horse’s central nervous system hidden in leukocytes (white blood cells) that cross the blood-brain barrier.
“Horses are
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) has been widely regarded as the only definitive way to diagnose the disease. This test can be difficult, expensive, and potentially dangerous, and according to new
While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing for equine protozoal myloencephalitis (EPM) is widely regarded as the only definitive way to diagnose the disease, the difficult, expensive, and potentially dangerous test might not be necessary, according
My horse was diagnosed about six months ago with EPM. Can I help him gain his strength back in his hind legs?
A 24-year-old pleasure mare in Brunswick, Ga., has been diagnosed with concurrent infections of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1). Both can cause neurologic disease.
This case highlights the
A 24-year-old pleasure mare in Brunswick, Ga., was recently diagnosed with concurrent infections of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1), both of which can cause clinical signs of neurologic disease
Sometimes subtle and often dramatic, infectious neurologic disease cases are things veterinarians never want to see, although most would like to understand them better and more easily recognize them when they appear in clients’ horses. From
A researcher has found a reliable way to diagnose equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in the acutely affected horse by examining genetic markers in its blood. This technique could potentially be applied to detect evidence of other infectiou
Although progress has been made studying equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in the last 10 years, some aspects of the disease remain elusive. One researcher, half-jokingly, notes that EPM is considered the most diagnosed neurologic disorde
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