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Review
. 2014 Dec;30(3):659-75.
doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2014.08.012. Epub 2014 Nov 6.

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis

Daniel K Howe  1 , Robert J MacKay  2 , Stephen M Reed  3
Affiliations
Review

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis

Daniel K Howe et al. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) can be caused by either of 2 related protozoan parasites, Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi, although S. neurona is the most frequent etiologic pathogen. Horses are commonly infected, but clinical disease occurs infrequently; the factors influencing disease occurrence are not well understood. Risk factors for the development of EPM include the presence of opossums and prior stressful health-related events. Attempts to reproduce EPM experimentally have reliably induced antibody responses in challenged horses but have not consistently produced acute neurologic disease. Diagnosis and options for treatment of EPM have improved over the past decade.

Keywords: Central nervous system; EPM; Neospora; Opossum; Protozoa; Sarcocystis.

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