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Some horse owners struggle with equine protozoal myelitis. It has been acknowledged by equine veterinary experts for over 50 years but there’s still much to learn. EPM most commonly attacks the central system. Rob Franklin, DVM Dip. ACVIM, joins the Chatfields to talk all about EPM: the cause, what it looks like in horses, and preventing it.
The definitive host is the opossum . . . the intermediate hosts include armadillos, skunks, raccoons, and domestic cats. . .”
Source: Chats with the Chatfield, January 20, 2022. Link. Horses are dead end hosts and as such do not spread the protozoa to other horses or animals. It is crucial to keep hosts and intermediate hosts out of horse barns.
Testing for EPM is a quagmire at best . . . the only gold standard is post-mortem, the rest are not definitive” – Rob Franklin, DVM Dip. ACVIM
Also see: Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis: An updated consensus statement with a focus on parasite biology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, Journal of Internal Veterinary Medicine, February 9, 2016. Link.