Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis?

The treatment is straightforward and usually works. I had a horse with it many years ago - he was falling down neurologic, a danger to be around. We treated him for over a year, then just let him ramble around the pasture (shaky at first) for two years, then began riding him. A few short years after that, he and I began eventing. He's totally okay.

My vet says that he was the worst she had ever seen that did not die or get put down, and now she would never know he had a neurologic issue ever at all. And she's a highly respected board certified Equine Internal Medicine specialist!

The horse is a "dead end" host, meaning it never ever passes on to any other creature because it's not a compatible enough host for the organism to procreate outside the body.

HOWEVER. I would never discourage anyone from checking with her obstetrician on an issue about a pregnancy. I kind of doubt he/she will have ever heard of EPM, but they can find out and be the definitive answer.

Please don't worry. Call your doctor; he's there to reassure you on these kinds of issues.

It's totally not contagious we had a horse come down with it at our stable and none of the other horses caught and they had been grazing in the same field and drinking out of the same trough. Sadly though the horse that has it may not make it unless it is a very healthy young horse. Every horse I know that came down with it passed away because they were old. I don't think you need to contact your doctor because one of the owners of both horse lived in the horses stall for a whole month until her horse passed and she did not get it even though she was an elderly woman. I would make sure you were not feeding your horse the same hay that horse was eating because EPM is coused by opossums urinating on the hay if your horse has been eating the same hay call your vet and get an appointment ASAP!

God Bless all involved in this situation.

Hi,

EPM is NOT contagious...it is transmitted to horses through infected horse feed. It gets infected by raccoons or opossums that are carrying the disease getting into unsecured feed and the horses then eating it.

There is meds that can be given, but since the disease is nuerological in nature there is no way to determine if a horse will be ridable again. We have one horse with EPM that has about fully recovered, but we will never risk putting a rider on him and will go as a pasture puff.

I do not believe (but I am not a doctor) there is any danger to you or your husband. You are in more danger by walking an actively symptomatic EPM horse; he or she may stumble and fall and hurt you by accident.

Best of luck to yuo and the horse!

Jo :o)

it is not contagious to horse or human. I volunteer at the indiana horse rescue and we've had a couple with EPM and im not 100% positive but i dont think there is a 100% cure for it. All the horses we treated had recovered initally(sp?) but keep relapsing and having problems. Sorry if this isnt what you wanted just my experiance with it.