EPM Diagnosis

Could EPM be causing your horse’s performance to be just a little off? Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) continues to be an elusive disease to prevent, diagnose, and treat in horses. In this special collection of three articles
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Could EPM be causing your horse’s performance to be just a little off?

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) continues to be an elusive disease to prevent, diagnose, and treat. In this special collection of three articles this month, we will delve into the often-contentious world of EPM research to share what practitioners and those studying the disease have discovered.

What is EPM?

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis describes an infection of the central nervous system with an intracellular (they cannot reproduce outside their host cell) protozoan parasite known as Sarcocystis neurona. To complete its life cycle, this organism requires a definitive host (the opossum), which feeds on the muscles of a dead intermediate host (such as a raccoon, skunk, cat, or armadillo). S. neurona is contained in the muscles in the form of sarcocysts, which once ingested by the opossum will mature and pass in their infective stage (sporocysts) in opossum feces

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Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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