Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Lowdown Of Out-Of-Competition Testing: What The Rmtc Isn't Telling Us About Its Proposed Regulations, Clara Fenger, Tanya Boulmetis, Kim Brewer, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Allelic Variation In Cxcl16 Determines Cd3+ T Lymphocyte Susceptibility To Equine Arteritis Virus Infection And Establishment Of Long-Term Carrier State In The Stallion, Sanjay Sarkar, Ernest Bailey, Yun Young Go, R. Frank Cook, Ted Kalbfleisch, John E. Eberth, R. Lakshman Chelvarajan, Kathleen M. Shuck, Sergey Artiushin, Peter J. Timoney, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory, systemic, and reproductive disease of horses and other equid species. Following natural infection, 10–70% of the infected stallions can become persistently infected and continue to shed EAV in their semen for periods ranging from several months to life. Recently, we reported that some stallions possess a subpopulation(s) of CD3⁺ T lymphocytes that are susceptible to in vitro EAV infection and that this phenotypic trait is associated with long-term carrier status following exposure to the virus. In contrast, stallions not possessing the CD3⁺ T …

2016 Study Of Current Conditions Of Kentucky County Animal Shelters And Degree Of Compliance With Kentucky Animal Shelter Laws, Cynthia L. Gaskill, Rachel Cullman-Clark, Liane Lachiewicz, Matt Lamarre, Brad Rohleder, Kristin Sadler, Rachel Sparling, Craig N. Carter

Veterinary Science Reports

Kentucky’s county animal shelter conditions have not been studied for over 20 years. Major goals of this study were to assess current conditions in Kentucky’s county shelters and determine the degree of compliance with Kentucky shelter laws. Additional information was gathered to determine the major problems and needs identified by shelter personnel and researchers. Data was used to determine if additional state funds or refinements and additions to current laws are warranted to ensure humane care of animals in Kentucky’s county shelters. Researchers consisted of a group of 6 veterinary students who traveled to all Kentucky county animal shelters. Ninety …

Animal Health Matters, Jane Hennings, Larry Holler, Russ Daly, Linda Fawcett

Animal Health MATTERS Newsletter

[Page] 1 SDSU and SHIC Study on Senecavirus Offers Keen Insights
[Page] 2 Director's Message: Innovation in the Laboratory and Being Proactive in the Protection of Animal Health
[Page] 2 Bovine Abortion-Sample Submission Guidelines
[Page] 3 South Dakota One Health Meeting Covers Bacterial Zoonotic Disease
[Page] 3 Small Ruminant, Poultry Serology Offerings Expanded at the ADRDL
[Page] 4 Molecular Diagnostics Section Evolves, Adds New Tests
[Page] 5 Recent PCR tests Added by ADRDL
[Page] 6 New Employees
[Page] 7 ADRDL Continues Their Critical Role Supporting Animal Exports

Regulation Of Alpha-Herpesvirus Reactivation From Latency By Stress, Insun Kook

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) and Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) are crucial etiological viral agent of clinical diseases. HSV-1 and BHV-1 establish latent infection in sensory neurons. Periodically, reactivation from latency occurs resulting in virus excretion and transmission. Stress increases corticosteroid levels and the incidence of HSV-1 and BHV-1 reactivation from latency. The synthetic corticosteroid, dexamethasone (DEX) mimics stress and induces BHV-1 and HSV-1 reactivation. However, molecular mechanisms by which corticosteroid mediates viral reactivation are not well understood. My dissertation has focused on elucidating events that induce BHV- 1 or HSV-1 reactivation during the early stages of stress-induced escape …

Morphological And Biochemical Adaptive Changes Associated With A Short-Period Starvation Of Adult Male Japanese Quail (Coturnix Japonica), Yasser Ahmed, Soha A. Soliman, Mohammed Abdelsabour-Khalaf

Histology Collection

Objective: The morphological and biochemical impact of a short-period of starvation on Japanese quail was investigated.

Materials and Methods: Ten adult male Japanese quail were divided into two groups; control fed and starved. The control-fed group was offered food and water ad libitum and the starved group was subjected to a short-period of food deprivation. After 2.5 days, the serum was obtained and different parameters including the total protein, AST, ALT, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, creatinine and urea were assessed. Gastrointestinal tract, stomach and liver were excised and their masses were estimated. Paraffin and resin embedded sections from the proventriculus, gizzard, …

Methamphetamine: A Substance Of Emerging Environmental Concern For Horse Racing, Clara Fenger, Tanya Boulmetis, Kim Brewer, Kent Stirling, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Experimental Infection Of Conventional Nursing Pigs And Their Dams With Porcine Deltacoronavirus, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, John Dustin Loy, Bruce W. Brodersen, Clayton L. Kelling, Alan R. Doster, Christina L. Topliff, Eric A. Nelson, Jianfa Bai, Erin Schirtzinger, Elizabeth Poulsen, Barbara Meadors, Joseph Anderson, Benjamin Hause, Gary Anderson, Richard Hesse

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly identified virus that has been detected in swine herds of North America associated with enteric disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the pathogenicity, course of infection, virus kinetics, and aerosol transmission of PDCoV using 87 conventional piglets and their 9 dams, including aerosol and contact controls to emulate field conditions. Piglets 2–4 days of age and their dams were administered an oronasal PDCoV inoculum with a quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR quantification cycle (Cq) value of 22 that was generated from a field sample having 100% nucleotide identity to USA/Illinois121/2014 determined …

Surveillance, Epidemiological, And Virological Detection Of Highly Pathogenic H5n1 Avian Influenza Viruses In Duck And Poultry From Bangladesh, Wahedul Karim Ansari, Md Safiullah Parvej, Mohamed E. El Zowalaty, Sally Jackson, Stephen A. Bustin, Adel K. Ibrahim, Md Tanvir Rahman, Han Zhang, Mohammad Ferdousur Rahman Khan, Md Mostakin Ahamd, Md. Fasiur Rahman, Marzia Rahman, Khm Nazmul H. Nazir, Sultan Ahmed, Md Liakot Hossenn, Md Abdul Kafi, Mat Yamage, Nitish C. Debnath, Graba Ahmed, Hossam Ashour, Md Masoud, Ayman Noreddin, Md B. Rahman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) continue to pose a global threat. Waterfowl are the main reservoir and are responsible for the spillover of AIVs to other hosts. This study was conducted as part of routine surveillance activities in Bangladesh and it reports on the serological and molecular detection of H5N1 AIV subtype. A total of 2169 cloacal and 2191 oropharyngeal swabs as well as 1725 sera samples were collected from live birds including duck and chicken in different locations in Bangladesh between the years of 2013 and 2014. Samples were tested using virus isolation, serological tests and molecular methods of RT-PCR. …

A Cluster Of Trace-Concentration Methamphetamine Identifications In Racehorses Associated With A Methamphetamine-Contaminated Horse Trailer: A Report And Analysis, Kimberly Brewer, Theodore F. Shults, Jacob Machin, Sucheta Kudrimoti, Rodney L. Eisenberg, Petra Hartman, Caroline Wang, Clara Fenger, Pierre Beaumier, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Three low concentration methamphetamine “positive” tests were linked to use of a methamphetamine-contaminated trailer to transport the affected horses. This incident establishes methamphetamine as a human-use substance that can inadvertently enter the environment of racing horses, resulting in urinary methamphetamine “positives;” an interim regulatory cut-off of 15 ng/mL for methamphetamine in post-race urine is proposed.

Neutering Of German Shepherd Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers And Urinary Incontinence, Benjamin L. Hart, Lynette A. Hart, Abigail P. Thigpen, Neil H. Willits

Endocrinology Collection

German Shepherd Dogs are important in police and military work, and are a popular family pet. The debilitating joint disorders of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear (CCL) and elbow dysplasia can shorten a dog’s useful working life and impact its role as a family member. For this study, veterinary hospital records were examined over a 14.5-year period on 1170 intact and neutered (including spaying) German Shepherd Dogs for joint disorders and cancers previously associated with neutering. The diseases were followed through 8 years of age, with the exception of mammary cancer (MC) in females that was followed through 11 …

Insulin-Dependent Glucose Metabolism In Dairy Cows With Variable Fat Mobilization Around Calving, C. Weber, C. T. Schäff, U. Kautzsch, S. Börner, S. Erdmann, S. Görs, M. Röntgen, H. Sauerwein, R. M. Bruckmaier, C. C. Metges, B. Kuhla, H. M. Hammon

Physiology Collection

Dairy cows undergo significant metabolic and endocrine changes during the transition from pregnancy to lactation, and impaired insulin action influences nutrient partitioning toward the fetus and the mammary gland. Because impaired insulin action during transition is thought to be related to elevated body condition and body fat mobilization, we hypothesized that over-conditioned cows with excessive body fat mobilization around calving may have impaired insulin metabolism compared with cows with low fat mobilization. Nineteen dairy cows were grouped according to their average concentration of total liver fat (LFC) after calving in low [LLFC; LFC <24% total fat/dry matter (DM); n = 9] and high (HLFC; LFC >24.4% total fat/DM; n = 10) fat-mobilizing …

Whole Genomic Sequence Analysis Of Bacillus Infantis: Defining The Genetic Blueprint Of Strain Nrrl B-14911, An Emerging Cardiopathogenic Microbe, Chandirasegara Massilamany, Akram Mohammed, John Dustin Loy, Tanya Purvis, Bharathi Krishnan, Rakesh H. Basavalingappa, Christy M. Kelley, Chittibabu Guda, Raúl G. Barletta, Etsuko N. Moriyama, Timothy P.L. Smith, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Background: We recently reported the identification of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 that induces heart autoimmunity by generating cardiac-reactive T cells through molecular mimicry. This marine bacterium was originally isolated from the Gulf of Mexico, but no associations with human diseases were reported. Therefore, to characterize its biological and medical significance, we sought to determine and analyze the complete genome sequence of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911.

Results: Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic transcribed spacers, phenotypic microarray, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-offlight mass spectrometry, we propose that this …

Trophoblast Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Expression Is Associated With Immune-Mediated Rejection Of Bovine Fetuses Produced By Cloning, Heloisa M. Rutigliano, Aaron J. Thomas, Amanda Wilhelm, Benjamin R. Sessions, Brady A. Hicks, Donald H. Schlafer, Kenneth L. White, Christopher J. Davies

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Trophoblast cells from bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) conceptuses express major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) proteins early in gestation, and this may be one cause of the significant first-trimester embryonic mortality observed in these pregnancies. MHC-I homozygous-compatible (n = 9), homozygous-incompatible (n = 8), and heterozygous-incompatible (n = 5) SCNT pregnancies were established. The control group consisted of eight pregnancies produced by artificial insemination. Uterine and placental samples were collected on Day 35 ± 1 of pregnancy, and expression of MHC-I, leukocyte markers, and cytokines were examined by immunohistochemistry. Trophoblast cells from all SCNT pregnancies expressed MHC-I, while …

Development Of A Novel Ex Vivo Equine Corneal Model, Todd L. Marlo, Elizabeth A. Giuliano, Ajay Sharma, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

To develop an ex vivo equine corneal organ culture model. Specifically, to assess the equine cornea's extracellular matrix and cellularity after 7 days using two different culture techniques: either (i) immersion system or (ii) air/liquid interface system, to determine the best ex vivo equine corneal model.

Animals Studied

Fourteen healthy equine corneas of various breeds.

Procedures

Equine corneas with 2 mm of perilimbal sclera were freshly harvested from 7 horses undergoing humane euthanasia. One corneal–scleral ring (CSR) from each horse was randomly placed in the (i) immersion condition organ culture system (IC), with the contralateral CSR being placed in …

Volume 12, Number 1 (Spring/Summer 2016), Ut Institute Of Agriculture

Tennessee Land, Life and Science Magazine

Issue Highlights:

• The four pillars of the Institute of Agriculture
• Alumna forges partnership amid Waldo Canyon fire
• Fishery biologists revive a river

Large Deletions At The Shox Locus In The Pseudoautosomal Region Are Associated With Skeletal Atavism In Shetland Ponies, Nima Rafati, Lisa S. Andersson, Sofia Mikko, Chungang Feng, Terje Raudsepp, Jessica Pettersson, Jan Janecka, Ove Wattle, Adam Ameur, Gunilla Thyreen, John E. Eberth, John Huddleston, Maika Malig, Ernest Bailey, Evan E. Eichler, Göran Dalin, Bhanu Chowdary, Leif Andersson, Gabriella Lindgren, Carl-Johan Rubin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Skeletal atavism in Shetland ponies is a heritable disorder characterized by abnormal growth of the ulna and fibula that extend the carpal and tarsal joints, respectively. This causes abnormal skeletal structure and impaired movements, and affected foals are usually killed. In order to identify the causal mutation we subjected six confirmed Swedish cases and a DNA pool consisting of 21 control individuals to whole genome resequencing. We screened for polymorphisms where the cases and the control pool were fixed for opposite alleles and observed this signature for only 25 SNPs, most of which were scattered on genome assembly unassigned scaffolds. …

Enhanced Bovine Colostrum Supplementation Shortens The Duration Of Respiratory Disease In Thoroughbred Yearlings, Clara K. Fenger, Thomas Tobin, Patrick J. Casey, Edward A. Roualdes, John L. Langemeier, Ruel Cowles, Deborah M. Haines

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Bovine colostrum (BC) is used in humans as a nutritional supplement for immune support and has been shown to reduce Respiratory disease (RD). Other nutritional supplements, minerals and vitamins including mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), zinc and vitamins A, C and E have also been used for immune support. The aim of this prospective blinded randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of a BC, MOS, zinc and vitamin based enhanced bovine colostrum supplement (BCS) on incidence and duration of RD occurring in yearling horses. 109 yearlings on two Thoroughbred farms in Central Kentucky were randomly assigned to treatment or placebo …

Validity And Repeatability Of Goniometry In Normal Horses, Henry S. Adair, Iii, Denis J. Marcellin-Little, David Levine

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Large Animal Clinical Sciences

PURPOSE: To assess validity and inter- and intra-tester reliability of equine goniometry and to establish values for carpal, metacarpophalangeal, tarsal, and metatarsophalangeal flexion and extension in horses. SUBJECTS: Seventeen healthy equine subjects of varied breeds were used. METHODS: Three investigators blindly and independently measured in triplicate the extension and flexion of carpal, metacarpophalangeal, tarsal, and metatarsophalangeal joints of 17 horses after sedation. Radiographs of these joints in flexion and extension were acquired while under sedation. Goniometric and radiographic measurements were compared statistically and were correlated. A Bland-Altman plot was constructed. Inter- and intra-tester repeatability of goniometry were evaluated by calculating …

Membrane Insertion For The Detection Of Lipopolysaccharides: Exploring The Dynamics Of Amphiphile-In-Lipid Assays, Loreen R. Stromberg, Nicolas W. Hengartner, Kirstie L. Swingle, Rodney A. Moxley, Steven W. Graves, Gabriel A. Montaño, Harshini Mukundan

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli is an important cause of foodborne illness, with cases attributable to beef, fresh produce and other sources. Many serotypes of the pathogen cause disease, and differentiating one serotype from another requires specific identification of the O antigen located on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule. The amphiphilic structure of LPS poses a challenge when using classical detection methods, which do not take into account its lipoglycan biochemistry. Typically, detection of LPS requires heat or chemical treatment of samples and relies on bioactivity assays for the conserved lipid A portion of the molecule. Our goal was to develop assays …

Impacts From The Use Of Antibiotics In Livestock: Methods Of Transmission Of Antibiotic Resistance From Livestock To Humans, Kristin M. Walden

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Antibiotic use in livestock production has been around since the 1950s. Antibiotic feed is used in livestock and other meat producing animals for three reasons: illness prevention, illness treatment, and growth promotion. Unfortunately, since the time that antibiotics were first invented, antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a threat to public health. There are many studies showing methods of transmission of antibiotic resistance from livestock to humans. Antibiotic resistance can spread from livestock to soil, water, insects, and food, which ultimately comes into contact with humans. A proposed study to measure antibiotic resistance when eliminating antibiotic feed will provide a hypothesis …

Development Of A Novel Self-Propagating Prssv-Vsv G Hybrid Replicon As A Vector For Inducing Broad Prrsv Protection, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Throughout successive cycles of Pork Check-off funding, our laboratories (Pattnaik’s and Osorio’s labs) have consistently produced new and fundamental information on: (i) the immunologic mechanisms that are important for protection against PRRSV infection, (ii) the structural basis for induction of PRRSV-neutralizing antibodies which are significant for conferring protective immunity, (iii) the possibility of producing a rationally-designed new generation DIVA vaccine that would offer more efficacious protection, and (iv) the presence of conserved B- and T-cell epitopes in the structural and nonstructural proteins (NSPs) of PRRSV.

A Mutation In Ltbp2 Causes Congenital Glaucoma In Domestic Cats (Felis Catus), Markus H. Kuehn, Koren A. Lipsett, Marilyn Menotti-Raymond, S. Scott Whitmore, Todd E. Scheetz, Victor A. David, Stephen J. O'Brien, Zhongyuan Zhao, Jackie K. Jens, Elizabeth M. Snella, N. Matthew Ellinwood, Gillian J. Mclellan

Biology Faculty Articles

The glaucomas are a group of diseases characterized by optic nerve damage that together represent a leading cause of blindness in the human population and in domestic animals. Here we report a mutation in LTBP2 that causes primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) in domestic cats. We identified a spontaneous form of PCG in cats and established a breeding colony segregating for PCG consistent with fully penetrant, autosomal recessive inheritance of the trait. Elevated intraocular pressure, globe enlargement and elongated ciliary processes were consistently observed in all affected cats by 8 weeks of age. Varying degrees of optic nerve damage resulted by …

An Ethogram For Benthic Octopods (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae), Jennifer Mather, Jean S. Alupay

Physiology Collection

The present paper constructs a general ethogram for the actions of the flexible body as well as the skin displays of octopuses in the family Octopodidae. The actions of 6 sets of structures (mantle–funnel, arms, sucker–stalk, skin–web, head, and mouth) combine to produce behavioral units that involve positioning of parts leading to postures such as the flamboyant, movements of parts of the animal with relation to itself including head bob and grooming, and movements of the whole animal by both jetting in the water and crawling along the substrate. Muscular actions result in 4 key changes in skin display: (a) …

Plants, Prions And Possibilities: Current Understanding And Significance Of Prion Uptake Into Plants, Tracy A. Nichols

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious, neurodegenerative disease of deer (white-tailed and mule), elk, moose, sika deer and muntjac caused by a misfolded version of a normally occurring protein. The notion that CWD could be spread indirectly via the environment has been documented and accepted in the scientific community for quite some time. Deer and elk consume soil, inhale dust and lick objects that have infectious material on them, resulting in chronic, low dose exposure. Surface contamination of plants with urine or feces is likely an additional source of exposure via ingestion and has been modeled in the laboratory …

Efficacy Of Maine Lobster Shell As Treatment For Haemonchus Contortus Parasitism In Sheep, Morgan H. Gustin

Honors College

Lobster shell, a chitin-based material, was applied to the ova, and to the L3 and L4 larval stages of the ruminant nematode Haemonchus contortus to assess its nematicidal effects on the parasite. Methods were developed to more accurately characterize and quantify larvae, including a formalin-kill technique to establish larval viability and a procedure for culturing L3 stage larvae into L4s in AF. Larval cultures containing 80g of fecal matter, 30g vermiculite and 100ml water were treated with various proportions of crushed lobster shell (medium or fine crush) to assess the affect of lobster shell on the maturation of H. contortus …

The Effect Of Management Strategies On Haemonchus Contortus Infections Of Sheep And Goats On Intensively Grazed Pasture, Catherine Werker Pouliot

Honors College

The purpose of this study was to determine how the management strategies used by producers on sheep and goat farms in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont could affect the fecal egg counts of the parasite called Haemonchus contortus in their animals. Surveys about management practices and fecal samples from the juvenile and adult populations were collected during the months of June, July, and August in the summer of 2015. Next, the samples were analyzed and fecal egg counts were determined using the McMaster method and a fluorescence-based H. contortus speciation technique. The fecal egg counts and survey answers were compiled …

Effect Of Dietary Starch Source And Concentration On Equine Fecal Microbiota, Brittany E. Harlow, Laurie M. Lawrence, Susan H. Hayes, Andrea Crum, Michael D. Flythe

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Starch from corn is less susceptible to equine small intestinal digestion than starch from oats, and starch that reaches the hindgut can be utilized by the microbiota. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of starch source on equine fecal microbiota. Thirty horses were assigned to treatments: control (hay only), HC (high corn), HO (high oats), LC (low corn), LO (low oats), and LW (low pelleted wheat middlings). Horses received an all-forage diet (2 wk; d -14 to d -1) before the treatment diets (2 wk; d 1 to 14). Starch was introduced gradually so that …

Equine Arteritis Virus Uses Equine Cxcl16 As An Entry Receptor, Sanjay Sarkar, Lakshman Chelvarajan, Yun Young Go, Frank Cook, Sergey Artiushin, Shankar Mondal, Kelsi Anderson, John E. Eberth, Peter J. Timoney, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, Ernest F. Bailey, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Previous studies in our laboratory have identified equine CXCL16 (EqCXCL16) to be a candidate molecule and possible cell entry receptor for equine arteritis virus (EAV). In horses, the CXCL16 gene is located on equine chromosome 11 (ECA11) and encodes a glycosylated, type I transmembrane protein with 247 amino acids. Stable transfection of HEK-293T cells with plasmid DNA carrying EqCXCL16 (HEK-EqCXCL16 cells) increased the proportion of the cell population permissive to EAV infection from < 3% to almost 100%. The increase in permissiveness was blocked either by transfection of HEK-EqCXCL16 cells with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) directed against EqCXCL16 or by pretreatment with guinea pig polyclonal antibody against EqCXCL16 protein (Gp anti-EqCXCL16 pAb). Furthermore, using a virus overlay protein-binding assay (VOPBA) in combination with far-Western blotting, gradient-purified EAV particles were shown to bind directly to the EqCXCL16 protein in vitro. The binding of biotinylated virulent EAV strain Bucyrus at 4°C was significantly higher in HEK-EqCXCL16 cells than nontransfected HEK-293T cells. Finally, the results demonstrated …

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis: An Updated Consensus Statement With A Focus On Parasite Biology, Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prevention, S. M. Reed, M. Furr, Daniel K. Howe, A. L. Johnson, R. J. Mackay, J. K. Morrow, N. Pusterla, S. Witonsky

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) remains an important neurologic disease of horses. There are no pathognomonic clinical signs for the disease. Affected horses can have focal or multifocal central nervous system (CNS) disease. EPM can be difficult to diagnose antemortem. It is caused by either of 2 parasites, Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi, with much less known about N. hughesi. Although risk factors such as transport stress and breed and age correlations have been identified, biologic factors such as genetic predispositions of individual animals, and parasite-specific factors such as strain differences in virulence, remain largely undetermined. This consensus statement …