Equine Infectious Encephalomyelitis: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Horses, like any other animals, suffer from various diseases. The appearance of infectious equine encephalomyelitis among the livestock poses a threat to all animals in the stable. Therefore, people working with horses should definitely be aware of the signs of the disease and how to treat this severe viral infection. After all, timely diagnosis and treatment can save animals.

Description of infectious encephalomyelitis

This is an acute viral disease, manifested by disruption of the central nervous system (central nervous system), inflammation of the spinal cord and brain, paresis of various organs.The disease is caused by an unclassified virus of various types, which are oval, round or rod-shaped.

The size of the virus is 8-130 nm. It decomposes instantly when boiled, disinfectant solutions neutralize it after 10 minutes, sunlight destroys it after 4-8 hours. Stores up to 2 years when frozen.

Typically, the disease affects horses between 2 and 12 years of age. The incubation period is from 2 weeks to 1.5 months. Infection occurs from sick animals, the spreaders of the disease are mosquitoes, ticks, rodents, forest birds. IEL can flare up in the same area over several seasons. More often it develops in spring and summer, it is noted in farms located in swampy areas, in floodplain and lowland areas. Animals that are constantly in stalls are less likely to get sick.

Symptoms and clinical signs

Once in the body, the virus causes inflammation of the cortex and subcortical layers of the brain, disruption of metabolic processes. The liver is particularly affected.

The disease proceeds in violent, quiet and latent forms. With a violent variety, the horse breaks off the leash, falls or lies on its side. Throws back its head, can injure itself. Reflexes weaken, then their complete absence is observed. Horses do not respond to pain (pricks in the tail area). Animals go blind, urinary retention is noted. Animals lie down, periodically making "swimming" movements with their legs. Then convulsions begin, the animal throws back its head, suffers from profuse sweating, falls into a coma and dies. The sclera of the eyes and tissues turn yellow, laboratory studies note a sharp increase in bilirubin in the blood and the ESR value.

In the early stages of infection, there is a slight increase in temperature, then it subsides.In the quiet form of IEL development, the animal stands with its head down, has a shaky gait, hardly stays on its feet, and often lies on its side. The animal closes its eyes and lowers its ears. Most often, he has an alternation of bouts of excitement and apathy.

The latent form is manifested by a decrease in appetite, the appearance of edema in the abdomen and head, a slight increase in temperature, an icteric tinge. In the absence of timely treatment, the disease takes a severe form. With a violent form of the disease, mortality exceeds 80%, with a quiet form it is about 50%.

Diagnostic Methods

When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a veterinarian. The diagnosis is made on the basis of laboratory tests. When diagnosing, rabies, Bornais disease, botulism, Aujeszky's disease should be excluded.

Horse treatments

There is no antiviral drug.When the first signs of the disease appear, the animal is isolated in an individual shaded corral with thick bedding. Glucose and saline, urotropin solution, (10% concentration) are administered intravenously, large volumes of specific serum are used. For the treatment of animals use:

hyperimmune serum;
saline;
cardiovascular drugs;
antibiotics.

Antibiotics do not destroy the virus, but prevent the development of a secondary infection. To increase efficiency, the gastrointestinal tract is cleaned. Make cleansing enemas, give Glauber's s alt. Animals are provided with the best conditions of detention. Horses that have been ill develop strong immunity to the disease.

Prevention

The main method of prevention is the vaccination of animals. To eliminate the foci of infection, the swamps are drained, the grazing areas are treated with insecticides and repellents. During the period of the greatest activity of mosquitoes and ticks, the herd is not driven out to pasture. The windows in the stables should be covered with nets.

A balanced diet and good housing conditions prevent equine infectious encephalomyelitis, reduce the likelihood of infection and facilitate the course of the disease.

When an infection is detected on the farm, quarantine is introduced. Sick animals are isolated, pens, leash are treated with a solution of "Whiteness", 1% formalin solution, 3% creolin solution. They clean the stables, the area around, the road to the watering place. Prohibit the export of animals and feed from the farm. Quarantine is lifted 40 days after the last recorded sick animal has recovered or died.