Factors associated with the development of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy.

This research aims to identify the factors associated with the development of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), a neurological disorder in horses, through a case-control study, and concluded that factors such as exposure to insecticides, wood preservatives, and frequent time spent on dirt lots could increase the risk. However, spending time on green pastures appeared to reduce the risk.

Introduction

• The study presented is a case-control investigation aimed at discerning the factors which might influence the development of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), a disease affecting the nervous system of horses.
• 146 horses with confirmed EDM diagnosis and 402 clinically normal horses, all admitted to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine between November 1978 and June 1987, served as the study’s population base.

Methodology

• Questionnaires were sent to the owners of both affected and control groups to gather data for analysis.
• The response rate was 56 questionnaires from the EDM-affected group and 179 from the control group.

Findings

• The study discovered that using insecticides on foals, exposing them to wood preservatives, and allowing them to spend a lot of time on dirt lots when outside were significant risk factors for developing EDM.
• However, horses spending time in green pastures were less likely to develop this disease – indicating such an environment as a protective factor against EDM.

Additional Observations

• The study also suggested that the foals born to dams (female parents) that had previously given birth to an EDM-affected foal had higher risk to develop the disease compared to foals from other dams, implying a potential genetic component to the disease risk.

Conclusions

• The findings indicate a complex interplay of environmental, behavioural, and potential genetic factors in the development of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy.