There is regular reporting of Strep equi spp equi outbreaks and single cases throughout North America and Europe. Several cases of Rhodococcus pneumonia in foals have been reported from Europe.
A potentially disease carrying mosquito ready to feed.
Third Quarter 2024 International report on equine infectious diseases is a compilation of information about the infectious diseases occurring in a number of participating countries.
© 2018 by James Gathany New window.
Also, there are isolated notifications of Equine Influenza from North America (Pacific Northwest, USA, Mid Atlantic, USA, and Ontario, Canada), and from Europe (British Isles, Netherlands and Belgium).
An outbreak investigation on Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) caused by the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis in the United States is ongoing (see story in our last EDQ edition).
A pasture-bred pony mare developed endometritis after mating and uterine fluid was culture-positive for T. equigenitalis. This is an ongoing investigation that has currently detected nearly 50 animals on three farms in Florida, and farms in Maine, Maryland and North Carolina. The five farms are connected to the index case. The majority of (culture positive) animals, so far, are geldings.
Interestingly, a recent publication in Equine Veterinary Journal (Grabatin et al., 2024) showed high prevalence among Icelandic horses of Germany using molecular diagnostics (PCR). These findings are supported by three CEM positive Icelandic horse cases from Germany during the last quarter. More on the ongoing outbreak investigation in the U.S. can be found here.
EHV-3 infection, an alphaherpesvirus and cause of pustular vulvovaginitis, is rarely reported. This quarter, there are reports from Europe (Switzerland and France).
Without further information, Portugal reports a case of Equine Arteritis virus (EAV) infection.
There have been few outbreaks/single cases of respiratory EHV-1 and EHV-4 infection reported from North America and Europe and a few abortions caused by EHV-1.
While the third quarter is typically a timespan with the fewest EHM (neurological EHV-1) cases or outbreaks of the year, there has been an unofficial notification of an EHM outbreak in Brazil in a coastal area south of Sao Paulo (Curitiba).
On the other hand, this quarter, as in previous years, has seen a surge in the mosquito-borne (ARBO) diseases Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV) in North America. A number of WNV cases have also been reported from Europe for all endemic areas. France reports an increase in cases not only from the Mediterranean coastal areas but also from the Atlantic coastal areas.
The endemic area around Berlin, Germany, is slowly expanding to the North and West of Germany. In North America, there is increased EEE activity along the East coast including the New England States expanding into Quebec and Ontario, Canada, and to the West with cases reported from Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas, USA.
Kenya reports a case of African Horse Sickness (AHS).
There were isolated Equine Infectious Anemia reports from North America and a single case reported from Europe (Bulgaria).
Press release by Lutz S. Goehring, DVM, MS, PhD Warren Wright, Sr. – Lucille Wright Markey Endowed Chair in Equine Infectious Diseases Gluck Equine Research Center