Researchers Developing Equine Sweet Itch Test

Learn about a possible new test for diagnosing insect bite hypersensitivity (summer eczema, sweet itch).
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Your horse is itchy. You find patches of missing hair on his sides and shoulders. There are gaps in his mane, holes in his tail. Sweet itch? It could be. But then again, maybe not. Belgian researchers say the only way to be sure that your horse is affected by sweet itch is to evaluate him using a confirmed diagnostic test for the disease.

Unfortunately, no such test exists…yet.

Currently, sweet itch is diagnosed by ruling out other causes of itching, such as lice or skin diseases, said Liesbet Peeters, PhD candidate and researcher in the Department of Biosystems at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Heverlee.

But recent studies have led to the hope that, in the near future, a reliable test for diagnosing insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), also known as summer eczema or sweet itch, will be available to veterinarians. Preliminary experiments with a prototype of such a test have been encouraging, Peeters said

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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