Insect bite dermal hypersensitivity (IBDH) might have a different origin in Icelandic horses than in horses of other breeds, according to a study completed by researchers at the University of Bristol’s school of Clinical Veterinary Science in the United Kingdom. The study was published in the August issue of Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology.

Insect bite dermal hypersensitivity is a type I hypersensitivity (allergic) response to the bites of certain gnats (those in the genus Culicoides). In Iceland, IBDH does not occur because gnats are not present, however researchers note an exceptionally high incidence of this condition in Icelandic horses that have been imported to mainland Europe