Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outbreaks of equine grass sickness in Hungary.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Schwarz, B et al.
- Affiliation:
- Equine Clinic
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a serious condition that mostly affects horses in Great Britain, but there have been reports of it in Hungary as well. In a stud in Hungary, there were no new cases of EGS from 2001 until 2009/10, when 11 out of 60 young male horses died or were put down due to the disease. After spending a few hours in a high-risk area during the winter of 2010/11, four more cases of acute EGS were observed in these horses. The symptoms in these cases were somewhat different from those typically seen in Great Britain, but tests showed that the affected horses had signs consistent with EGS. Toxicology tests found a chemical called carbofuran in the liver of many of the horses, which may weaken the immune system and make them more likely to develop EGS. More research is needed to understand how carbamates, like carbofuran, might be involved in this disease.
Abstract
Equine grass sickness (EGS) occurs mainly in Great Britain, but has once been reported in Hungary. The stud which was affected by EGS in 2001 had no new cases until 2009/10, when 11 of 60 and five of 12 one- to three-year-old colts died or were euthanased due to EGS. Following a few hours in the high-risk field during the winter of 2010/11 further four cases of acute EGS were noted among these horses. The affected horses showed somewhat different clinical signs compared with the cases reported in Great Britain. Histopathological findings in these horses were consistent with EGS. In most examined cases carbofuran, a carbamate was found in the liver by toxicological examination, and it is postulated that carbofuran may influence the immune system and therefore predispose the horses to develop EGS. Carbamates are thought to cause a delayed neurotoxicity in human beings. Further studies are needed to clarify the potential role of carbamates in EGS.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22124026/