Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Equine Piroplasmosis Case in Florida by: Edited Press Release August 18 2008 Article # 12533
Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced Aug. 15 that a horse in Manatee County, Fla., has been diagnosed with equine piroplasmosis, an animal disease that the U.S. has been considered free of since 1988.
Blood and tissue testing of a 7-year-old gelding that had been euthanized after a three-week illness confirmed the presence of the disease in the animal. State officials immediately quarantined the premises on which the horse resided, as well as two adjacent properties containing horses until a determination of their status could be made. An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the state veterinarian's office to determine the source of the disease and whether it has spread beyond the immediate area where the infected animal was housed.
About Equine Piroplasmosis
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a blood-borne parasitic disease primarily transmitted to horses by ticks or contaminated needles. The disease was eradicated from Florida in the 1980's, and the tick species believed to transmit EP in other countries have not been identified in Florida in many years.
This disease is not directly contagious from one horse to another but requires direct blood transfer. Human infection with equine piroplasmosis is extremely rare.
Piroplasmosis can be difficult to diagnose, since the parasites cause a wide variety of clinical signs, including acute fever, lack of appetite, anemia, jaundice, chronic weight loss, poor exercise tolerance, and sudden death. The disease can be fatal in up to 20% of previously unexposed animals.
Recovered horses can become chronic carriers without clinical signs.
Current Advice to Equine Industry
Veterinarians, horse owners, and others in the equine industry in Florida are asked to monitor their horses carefully and contact their veterinarian if they suspect this disease. Because it is a disease that the U.S. has been free of for two decades, suspected cases must be reported to the office of the state veterinarian by law.
With the exception of the quarantined premises, there are no EP movement restrictions on horses within Florida or between Florida and other states. Horses entering Florida from other countries with equine piroplasmosis will continue to be tested prior to and following entry according to the current rule.
Horse owners are asked to monitor their animals for the presence of ticks, and to use commercially available topical products labeled for ticks if your horse is in an area where tick infestation is a problem. Most of these products are synthetic pyrethrins. Include an avermectin product in your deworming program to provide systemic treatment for ticks.
Horse owners are also reminded not to share needles between animals during the administration of any medication or vaccinations.
Keep an eye on TheHorse.com for further information as it becomes available. AAEP Media Partner
Readers are cautioned to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
I wonder if humans can get this?
I lived very close to Manatee County in Florida in the 1980s. That is when I got bit, 1989 or 1990, because I was in Kindergarten. I presented with high fevers and muscle aches and migraines right away.
I have recently tested positive on Babesia FISH, but not on b. microti. I wonder if the piroplasmosis would come up positive on the FISH.
I believe Mepron may treat both disseases, so I am probably doing everything I can.
I know I got this "babesia" thing when I was a child in Florida, and it DID always seem odd that babesia, at least back then, was only reported in the North East.
UGH!!!!!!!
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Horse on Contact Premises Positive for Piroplasmosis by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News Editor August 25 2008 Article # 12575
According to an Aug. 25 statement from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DOACS), a horse on a second property has tested positive for equine piroplasmosis.
Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced Aug. 15 that a horse in Manatee County, Fla., had been diagnosed with equine piroplasmosis, an animal disease that the U.S. has been considered free of since 1988.
The affected horse was euthanized, but since that time, four other horses on the original property tested positive for the disease.
Several adjacent and contact premises linked to the original positive property have also been investigated. Of the 30 additional horses tested late last week, one horse from a contact premises tested positive, the DOACS said in an official statement.
State officials are working with the USDA to continue the investigation. This work includes identifying additional horses or premises that might have been in contact with or associated with a positive horse or premises.
Representatives of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Diseases Study are assisting with tick surveillance on affected premises.
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by two parasites, Babesia caballi and B. equi. The parasites are able to hitch a ride on certain ticks, in which they can amplify, thus, creating the potential for spread to horses. The parasites can also be spread via shared needles.
According to Mike Short, DVM, equine programs manager for the DOACS, it seems most likely that the disease was passed on the original property via shared needles and other management practices used there.
Piroplasmosis occurs through much of the world. Areas not considered endemic include the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, England, Iceland, and Ireland. Horses that get EP might have a fever, anemia, jaundice, hemoglobinuria (the presence in urine of a protein normally found in red blood cells), central nervous system disturbances, and they sometimes die. But some infected horses are less severely affected and might show few or no clinical signs. These horses have the potential to carry the parasites for prolonged periods, during which they are potential sources of infection.
To prevent EP from entering the country, the USDA currently tests all imported horses for antibodies during quarantine. Horses with antibodies to B. caballi and/or B. equi are not allowed entry into the United States.
The only current treatment is a potent type of chemotherapy that should eliminate clinical signs of disease; however, it won't necessarily eliminate the parasites from infected horses.
With the exception of the quarantined premises, there are no equine movement restrictions in Florida or between Florida and other states. As of Aug. 21, Canada has advised the United States Department of Agriculture they will not accept horses originating from Manatee County, effective immediately. Horses entering Florida from countries with equine piroplasmosis will continue to be tested prior to and following entry, in accordance with the current rule.
Horse owners are asked to report any unusual clinical signs to their veterinarians, and to use commercially available topical tick repellent products if your horse is in an area where ticks are a problem. Include an avermectin product in your deworming program to provide systemic treatment for ticks.
Horse owners are also reminded not to reuse needles among different animals while administering any medications or vaccinations. AAEP Media Partner
Readers are cautioned to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.
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