Outbreaks of equine grass sickness in Hungary.

This research investigates occurrences of equine grass sickness (EGS) in Hungary and explores its potential link with carbamate toxins found in the affected horses’ livers.

Overview of the Research

• The study focuses on equine grass sickness (EGS), which is primarily found in Great Britain, but also reported once in Hungary, specifically on a stud affected by EGS in 2001.
• There were no new EGS cases on this stud until 2009/10 when a significant number of one- to three-year-old colts died or were euthanized due to EGS.
• Additional four cases were discovered in the winter of 2010/11, just after the horses spent a few hours in a high-risk field.

Clinical Signs and Histopathological Findings

• The affected horses exhibited slightly different clinical signs to the EGS cases previously reported in Great Britain.
• Histopathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis of EGS but also brought to light a possible link between the disease and a toxin found in the horses’ liver.

Potential Role of Carbamates

• The toxin identified in most cases was carbofuran, a type of carbamate.
• The researchers suggest that carbofuran may influence the immune system and thus predispose the horses to develop EGS.
• Carbamates, according to previous studies, cause a delayed neurotoxicity in human beings, which prompted the researchers to explore their potential role in EGS.

Conclusion and Further Research

• While this study provides significant data and observations, further research is needed to confirm whether carbamates play a direct role in EGS.