How Do You Treat Protozoal Myeloencephalitis In Horses?

How is EPM treated? Treatment to control infection should include an FDA-approved anticoccidial drug (Ponazuril, Diclazuril, Sulfadiazine/Pyrimethamine). Additional treatments should be provided as needed based on the severity of the clinical signs and any associated complications.

What causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis?

EPM is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It’s caused by the microbe, Sarcocystis neurona, commonly found in the opossum. Horses that come in contact with infected opossum feces can develop neurologic disease.

What are the symptoms of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis?

Signs may include any of the following:

• Subtle lameness.
• Weakness.
• Ataxia (incoordination)
• Usually asymmetrical, one to all limbs.
• Muscle atrophy.
• Head tilt.
• Head shaking.
• Cranial nerve signs, such as asymmetrical facial paralysis, head tilt or swallowing difficulties.

Is equine protozoal myeloencephalitis contagious?

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, or EPM, is one of the most common causes of equine neurologic disease in the United States. It is a non-contagious disease that causes neurological lameness and other potentially vague symptoms in horses.

How do you prevent equine protozoal myeloencephalitis?

Prevention. As horses most commonly come into contact with SN by ingesting feed or water containing opossum feces, prevention relies on reducing the chances of opossum feces being present. Focus on avoiding attracting opossums to horse feeding areas, and preventing them from accessing those areas if they do arrive.

Does ivermectin treat EPM?

Treatment schedule
If he does not have a history of de-worming within the past four months, my recommendation is to begin with a dose of Ivermectin. Because Ivermectin causes a slow kill, it will prevent a worm impaction if the horse has a large number of worms.

How long does it take a horse to get over EPM?

Most treatments are administered for at least 12 weeks. Long-term antibiotic therapy, until a negative CSF test, is the only known successful treatment. Approximately 28 percent of EPM- infected horses relapse after treatment has stopped—often due to premature withdrawal or administration irregularities.

Can a horse recover from EPM without treatment?

What is the prognosis for EPM? If left undiagnosed and untreated, EPM can cause devastating and lasting neurological deficits. The success rate for treated horses is high. Many will improve and a smaller percentage will recover completely, but 10-20% of cases may relapse within two years.

Can horses survive EPM?

If detected and treated very early however, before the disease has progressed, around eighty percent of infected horses may survive. After ingestion by the horse, the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier and takes up residence within the cells of the central nervous system (CNS) where it is able to reproduce.

What should I feed my horse with EPM?

We routinely recommend use of Essential K^® or Wholesome Blends^™ Balancer to support horses during EPM recovery because both products are highly concentrated in vitamins, minerals and the high-quality amino acids needed for muscle rebuilding.

Is there a vaccine for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis?

A vaccine against Sarcocystis neurona, a causative agent for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), has been available since 2000, but its efficacy has been unclear.

Are horses with EPM in pain?

Horses that are suffering from EPM will also be painful around the occiput and atlas, due to the inflammation going on in the spinal cord. If you have the horse walk and have someone walk behind them and pull them by the tail off to one side, they will be unable to right themselves.

Can a horse with EPM give it to another horse?

More than 50 percent of all horses in the United States may have been exposed to the organism that causes EPM. The causative organism is a protozoal parasite called Sarcocystis neurona. The disease is not transmitted from horse to horse.

Does EPM ever go away?

Signs of EPM include incoordination, transient lameness, lethargy, weakness and gait changes. Treatment with antiprotozoal or antiparasitic medications, such as ponazuril, diclazuril, or sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine, can reduce or eliminate the signs of EPM.

Can horses get EPM from pasture?

The horse can ingest the protozoa-infected feces through contaminated feed, hay, water or even pasture. The horse is considered an intermediate host, however, and cannot pass the infection on to other animals.

How does Vitamin E help EPM in horses?

Supplementing a natural vitamin E source may help horses recover. Vitamin E is important for healthy nerve function. It also serves as an antioxidant to quench free-radical damage from tissue degradation. In addition, it strengthens the immune system, which may make it better at fighting off the protozoa.

Does banamine help EPM?

Additional Therapies. Because EPM is an inflammatory disease, the use of anti-inflammatory medications can also be helpful. Flunixin meglumine (banamine) is commonly given to moderately or severely affected horses during the first 3-7 days of therapy.

How do vets check for EPM?

The standard of practice for diagnosis is to perform a complete neurological exam, accompanied by laboratory tests that detect an immunological response to infection. Testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), with a paired serum, is more predictive of active disease than serum alone.

What animals can give horses EPM?

Original research in the mid-1990s led to the discovery of the opossum as the definitive host for Sarcocystis neurona, the primary parasite that causes EPM in horses.

How much vitamin E does a EPM horse need?

5,000-10,000 IUs per day
Answer. Supplemental vitamin E within the range of 5,000-10,000 IUs per day is typically recommended for horses suffering from neurologic and neuromuscular conditions. If you are not actively treating your mare for EPM, then lower supplemental levels of vitamin E at 1,000-3,000 IUs per day may suffice.

How does a horse contract EPM?

Horses contract EPM by ingesting the organism protozoal. Protozoal is a parasite found in infected feed, water, hay, or pastures. The horse’s food source becomes infected by opossum feces that contain the sporocysts parasites. It is important to point out that the parasite can only be passed to horses from opossums.