• Vetiranary Medicine
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Two protozoal parasites causing widespread equine disease, study finds

October 23, 2013

UC-Davis says Neospora hughesi, first identified in California, causing EPM in horses across the country along with Sarcocystis neurona.

Photo courtesy of UC-Davis

Advertisement

Researchers at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine say the neurological disease equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is widespread across the United States. A single-cell protozoal parasite, Sarcocystis neurona, shed in the feces of opossums is the most commonly recognized cause of EPM. However, a recent UC-Davis study found evidence that Neospora hughesi, the other EPM-causing parasite, first identified in California, is now being identified in horses across the United States.

“This study returned positive results from more states than we originally thought,” says UC-Davis’s Nicola Pusterla, DVM, DACVIM, lead researcher on the study, in a university release. “As the recognized geographic spread of Neospora hughesi infections expands, we are encouraging horse owners about the benefits of the advanced tests available at UC-Davis to more accurately diagnose the disease.”According to the university, researchers obtained a total of 3,123 diagnostic submissions from 49 states for the study. They determined that horses from 42 states were affected by parasites causing EPM. Horses in 24 states tested positive for antibodies against N. hughesi and S. neurona. Horses from 17 states tested positive for antibodies against S. neurona only, while horses in one state tested positive for antibodies against N. hughesi only.

The immunofluorescent antibody tests SarcoFluor and NeoFluor created by UC-Davis are designed to identify both of the known causative agents of EPM. The university says the tests provide a quantitative indication of EPM infection and provide greater sensitivity and specificity than the Western immunoblot test on serum samples while reducing the necessity to obtain cerebrospinal fluid in order to screen for antibodies against the two protozoal agents.

“Since its discovery in horses, EPM has posed a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge,” says Claudia Sonder, DVM, director of the Center for Equine Health at UC-Davis. “For the first time, veterinarians can associate probability of EPM infection with positive tests results and can rule out both organisms known to cause EPM with negative tests.”

Related Content:

MedicalEquine MedicineBreaking NewsEquine
UC Davis oral surgeons repair kitten’s severe cleft palate
UC Davis oral surgeons repair kitten’s severe cleft palate
CBD provides one mustang with a second chance
CBD provides one mustang with a second chance
Updated EquiTrace app integrates wth HISA Portal
Updated EquiTrace app integrates wth HISA Portal

Advertisement

Latest News

Managing wounds in pet patients

Spectrum of care: protocols to support pet owners’ budgets

How to support women while still running a successful business

The Vets expands to Raleigh, NC

View More Latest News
Advertisement