FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Microbiol / Contagious equine metritis: artificial reproduction changes ...
Veterinary microbiology2012; 167(1-2); 2-8; doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.12.021

Contagious equine metritis: artificial reproduction changes the epidemiologic paradigm.

Abstract: Recent CEM outbreak reports reflect a novel epidemiologic manifestation with a markedly different risk association for transmission via artificial reproduction and subsequent to inadvertent importation of unapparent carrier stallions. Artificial breeding has an increased association with horizontal or fomite-associated transmission. Reported risk factors include inadequate biosecurity protocols at centralised breeding facilities associated with stallion management and methods of semen collection, processing and transport. Detection of carriers is based on traditional bacteriology from genital swabs and despite limitations inherent to Taylorella equigenitalis is currently the gold standard applied in all international trade and movement protocols. These limitations are reported to be overcome by PCR assays improving diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, practicality, turn-around times, through-put and cost efficacy. Molecular methods have increased understanding of the Taylorelleae, facilitate epidemiologic surveillance and outbreak control strategies. Validation and international regulatory acceptance of a robust PCR-based assay and the undefined risks in association with cryopreserved semen and embryos are future areas warranting further investigation.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2012-12-26 PubMed ID: 23332460DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.12.021Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Review

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses how artificial reproduction methods have changed the spread and detection of contagious equine metritis (CEM), an infectious disease in horses, and proposes improvements for outbreak control and diagnostics.

Change in the Epidemiology of CEM

  • The study reports on recent outbreaks of contagious equine metritis (CEM) which now show a different epidemiologic pattern due to the use of artificial reproduction. This has resulted in changes in the risk association for disease transmission after unintentional importation of carrier stallions who don’t show any symptoms.
  • Artificial breeding, in particular, is associated with an increase in horizontal transmission (from one horse to another) or fomite-associated transmission (through inanimate objects such as equipment).
  • The main risk factors identified include weak biosecurity protocols at centralized breeding facilities related to stallion management and ways of collecting, processing, and transporting semen.

Current Diagnostic Methods and Their Limitations

  • The detection of carrier horses mainly relies on traditional bacteriology from genital swabs. Despite the inherent limitations of this method for the detection of Taylorella equigenitalis, the bacteria causing CEM, it remains the globally accepted gold standard in international trade and movement protocols.
  • The limitations of this approach are reported to be addressed by leveraging PCR (polymerase chain reaction) assays, which improve diagnostic sensitivity (the ability to correctly identify positive cases) and specificity (the ability to correctly identify negative cases), practicability, turn-around times, throughput, and cost-effectiveness.

Progress and Further Investigation

  • The use of molecular methods has increased understanding of the Taylorelleae family of bacteria and has enabled better epidemiologic surveillance and outbreak control strategies.
  • The study suggests that future areas worth further investigation include the validation and international regulatory acceptance of a robust PCR-based assay, and the identification of risks associated with cryopreserved semen and embryos.

Cite This Article

APA
Schulman ML, May CE, Keys B, Guthrie AJ. (2012). Contagious equine metritis: artificial reproduction changes the epidemiologic paradigm. Vet Microbiol, 167(1-2), 2-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.12.021

Publication

Veterinary microbiology
ISSN: 1873-2542
NlmUniqueID: 7705469
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 167
Issue: 1-2
Pages: 2-8

Researcher Affiliations

Schulman, Martin Lance
  • Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag XO4, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa. Electronic address: martin.schulman@up.ac.za.
May, Catherine Edith
    Keys, Bronwyn
      Guthrie, Alan John

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Carrier State / veterinary
        • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
        • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / transmission
        • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / veterinary
        • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
        • Horse Diseases / transmission
        • Horses
        • Insemination, Artificial / veterinary
        • Semen / microbiology
        • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / epidemiology
        • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / veterinary
        • Taylorella equigenitalis / physiology

        Citations

        This article has been cited 12 times.
        1. Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA. Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond-A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024 Jul 29;13(8).
          doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13080713pubmed: 39200013google scholar: lookup
        2. Scholtz M, Guthrie AJ, Newton R, Schulman ML. Review of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae as venereal pathogens in horses. Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):587-597.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14201pubmed: 39103748google scholar: lookup
        3. Grabatin M, Fux R, Zablotski Y, Goehring LS, Witte TS. Taylorella equigenitalis in Icelandic intact males compared with other horse breeds using natural cover. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):441-448.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14121pubmed: 39031711google scholar: lookup
        4. Knox A, Zerna G, Beddoe T. Current and Future Advances in the Detection and Surveillance of Biosecurity-Relevant Equine Bacterial Diseases Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP). Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 18;13(16).
          doi: 10.3390/ani13162663pubmed: 37627456google scholar: lookup
        5. Quiñones-Pérez C, Martínez A, Crespo F, Vega-Pla JL. Comparative Semen Microbiota Composition of a Stallion in a Taylorella equigenitalis Carrier and Non-Carrier State. Animals (Basel) 2020 May 17;10(5).
          doi: 10.3390/ani10050868pubmed: 32429567google scholar: lookup
        6. May CE, Guthrie AJ, Schulman ML. Direct culture-independent sequence typing of Taylorella equigenitalis obtained from genital swabs and frozen semen samples from South African horses. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019 Sep;31(5):792-794.
          doi: 10.1177/1040638719871089pubmed: 31423914google scholar: lookup
        7. Melzer F, Raßbach A, Köenig-Mozes A, Elschner MC, Tomaso H, Busch A. Draft Genome Sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis Strain 210217RC10635, Isolated from a Pony Stallion in Germany. Microbiol Resour Announc 2018 Sep;7(12).
          doi: 10.1128/MRA.01112-18pubmed: 30533657google scholar: lookup
        8. Rocha T. Contagious equine metritis in Portugal: A retrospective report of the first outbreak in the country and recent contagious equine metritis test results. Open Vet J 2016;6(3):263-267.
          doi: 10.4314/ovj.v6i3.18pubmed: 28116252google scholar: lookup
        9. May CE, Schulman ML, Howell PG, Lourens CW, Gouws J, Joone C, Monyai MS, le Grange M, Bezuidt OK, Harper CK, Guthrie AJ. Draft Genome Sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis Strain ERC_G2224 Isolated from the Semen of a Lipizzaner Stallion in South Africa. Genome Announc 2015 Oct 15;3(5).
          doi: 10.1128/genomeA.01205-15pubmed: 26472845google scholar: lookup
        10. Amat JP, Hendrikx P, Tapprest J, Leblond A, Dufour B. Comparative evaluation of three surveillance systems for infectious equine diseases in France and implications for future synergies. Epidemiol Infect 2015 Oct;143(14):3122-33.
          doi: 10.1017/S0950268815000217pubmed: 25712325google scholar: lookup
        11. Hébert L, Touzain F, de Boisséson C, Breuil MF, Duquesne F, Laugier C, Blanchard Y, Petry S. Draft Genome Sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis Strain MCE529, Isolated from a Belgian Warmblood Horse. Genome Announc 2014 Nov 26;2(6).
          doi: 10.1128/genomeA.01214-14pubmed: 25428969google scholar: lookup
        12. Allombert J, Vianney A, Laugier C, Petry S, Hébert L. Survival of taylorellae in the environmental amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. BMC Microbiol 2014 Mar 19;14:69.
          doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-69pubmed: 24641089google scholar: lookup
        Subscribe to our newsletter
        Join 99,359 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.