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Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in various stages. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a disease that affects the central nervous system of horses. It is caused by a protozoal infection that is brought about by the apicomplexan parasites Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi. Most cases are caused by S. neurona.
Neospora hughesi is an obligate protozoan apicomplexan parasite that causes myelitis and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses, and has only been documented in North America. [1] EPM is a neurological disease from lesions in the spinal cord, brain stem, or brain from parasites such as N. hughesi or Sarcocystis neurona. [2]
The protozoan, S. neurona, is a member of the genus Sarcocystis, and is most commonly associated with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). [2] S. neurona can be easily cultivated and genetically manipulated, hence its common use as a model to study numerous aspects of cell biology .
Suprascapular nerve damage will lead to atrophy of the main muscles of the shoulder (sweeny). Femoral nerve paralysis causes hyperflexion of the stifles, hocks, and fetlocks and the horse usually walks on the toe of the hind foot. [9] Infectious causes affecting the nervous system may be bacterial, viral, protozoal, or rickettsial.
Protozoan infections are responsible for diseases that affect many different types of organisms, including plants, animals, and some marine life. Many of the most prevalent and deadly human diseases are caused by a protozoan infection, including African sleeping sickness , amoebic dysentery , and malaria .
An acute form of the disease, which is generally fatal unless treated, occurs in horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, buffalo, deer, camels, [2] llamas, dogs, [3] and cats. This form is caused by Trypanosoma evansi (Steel 1885) (Balbiani 1888), and is transmitted by horse-flies , and also by the vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus , in South-America .
Ponazuril (), sold by Merial, Inc., [1] now part of Boehringer Ingelheim, [2] under the trade name Marquis (15% w/w ponazuril), is a drug currently approved for the treatment of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses, caused by coccidia Sarcocystis neurona.
Tick-borne diseases, which afflict humans and other animals, are caused by infectious agents transmitted by tick bites. [1] They are caused by infection with a variety of pathogens , including rickettsia and other types of bacteria , viruses , and protozoa . [ 2 ]