![]() This invasion by the parasite creates an inflammatory reaction locally, which then impairs nerve function and creates many of the clinical signs. EPM Causes and Prevalence in the HorseĮPM or equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in causes by a parasite called Sarcocystis neurona, which gains access to the body and then targets the peripheral or central nervous system in the horse. Let’s look at EPM a little closer and see what we can discover. In truth, our therapy options were only targeting the invader and doing very little to support the body, helping it to recover and repair on a cellular level. Despite having newer therapy options today, for many horses the parasite is still not completely eliminated and many deal with high recurrence rates. The truth was that there was too much neurological damage done due to the infection and the therapies were not eliminating the parasite completely. The recovery rate was not good and this was due not only to our therapies available but also the severity of disease progression in those horses. In those days, we didn’t have the fancy therapeutic options that are available today, but most of what we did was supportive care in combination with standard antibiotic/anti-protozoal therapies. This contributed heavily to the overall poor recovery in those situations. It seemed futile in many cases, as many of those horses could not eat due to not being able to chew their food or swallow. As students on the late night shift, we were often given the task of hooking those horses up to overhead hoists, lifting and turning them to reduce bed sores and muscle wasting. In those days, we saw the worst of the cases that were admitted to the teaching hospital, and many of these horses were recumbent and unable to stand or even turn themselves. When I was in veterinary college, EPM was first being clinically recognized and treated. This can be frustrating, but if we take a step back and look at ‘why’ this may be happening, it can open doors for prevention and newer therapy options for the horse. The incidence of EPM appears to be increasing at times, which is not uncommon as overall health is impaired on a higher level. The costs can be huge in regards to diagnostic expenses, therapy costs and overall loss of use and performance issues. Despite this being a low number, relatively speaking, impacting less than 5 out of 100 horses, the impact when it does happen can be devastating to the average owner. EPM or Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis has plagued horse owners for decades with an estimated clinical prevalence of less than 5% of horses being affected.
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