An attempt to reproduce ‘mal seco’ in horses by feeding them <i>Festuca argentina</i>

Uzal, Francisco A.; Woodman, MP; Giraudo, Cesare; Robles, Carlos Alejandro; Doxey, D. L.

doi:10.1136/vr.139.3.68

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Although this avenue of enquiry did not progress further at that time, the investigation into the role of Fusaria in EGS has recently been revived, aided by the availability of analytical techniques that enable large‐scale screening of mycotoxins (R. S. Pirie, personal observation). Although researchers in South America identified the ingestion of Festuca argentina to be common in a group of mal seco cases, subsequent feeding trials with the plant infected with the endophytic fungus, Acremonium chlamydosporioides , failed to reproduce any clinical or pathological changes consistent with the disease .…”

Section: Aetiological Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equine grass sickness

Pirie

Jago

Hudson

2014

Equine Veterinary Journal

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Equine grass sickness (EGS; equine dysautonomia) is a polyneuronopathy affecting both the central and the peripheral nervous systems of horses. As the name implies, EGS almost exclusively affects grazing horses, resulting in the development of a characteristic array of clinical signs, most of which can be attributed to neuronal degeneration in the autonomic and enteric nervous systems. Varying disease severities occur, largely determined by the extent of neuronal degeneration in the myenteric and submucous plexuses of the enteric nervous system. Extensive neuronal degeneration, as seen in acute and subacute forms of EGS, results in intestinal dysmotility, the severity of which is incompatible with survival. In comparison, a proportion of chronic forms of EGS, characterised by less severe neuronal degeneration, will survive. Despite extensive research efforts since EGS was first reported over 100 years ago, the precise aetiology remains elusive. This article reviews much of the scientific literature on EGS, covering epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment and aetiological hypotheses.

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Section: Aetiological Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equine grass sickness

Pirie

Jago

Hudson

2014

Equine Veterinary Journal

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“…However, Fusarium species were found on all the samples examined but no conclusions could be drawn about their effect on nerve cells (John 1996, Robb 1996). Uzal and others (1996) failed to reproduce mal seco by feeding horses with Festuca argentina (a plant native to Argentina) which was infected by an endophytic fungus.…”

Section: Geographical Spread Of Grass Sicknessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of equine grass sickness: a literature review (1909–1999)

2001

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The geographical spread of grass sickness between 1909 and 1999, particularly in England and Wales, is described, and the experimental investigations to identify a causal agent are summarised. The epidemiological techniques used to investigate grass sickness vary from clinical observations, to more advanced methods such as case-control studies using logistic regression analyses. Several risk factors for grass sickness have been reported consistently (age, time of year and recent movement to new pasture or premises) and several others have been reported for which the findings remain inconsistent (weather, pasture type, breed, supplementary feeding and use of anthelmintics).

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“…sind (Fatzer et al 1995 chlamydosporioides befallen waren, auszulösen verliefen allerdings negativ (Uzal et al 1996). AbschlieBend sollte festgehalten werden, daß auch in Deutschland mit dem sporadischen Auftreten der Graskrankheit unter den entspr e chen d en B ed in g u ng en g e re chn e t w e rd e n m uß .…”

Section: Pferdeheilkunde 13unclassified

Chronic Grass Sickness (equine dysautonomia) in a 21years old lcelandic mare on a north frisian island

Schulze¹,

Venner²,

Pohlenz³

1997

PHK

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ZusammenfassungBer einer zweietnhalb Jahre alten lsländerstute wurde die Diagnose chronische Graskrankheit gestellt. Das Tier wurde zum Zeitpunkt der Er krankung auf der Weide auf einer der nordfriesischen Inseln gehalten. lm gleichen Bestand Chronical grass sickness (equine dysautonomia) in a 21lz years old lcelandic mare on a northfrisian island Chronic grass sickness (equine dysautonomia) was diagnosed in a two and a half years old lcelandic pony mare from a herd grazed on one of tlre Nodhern Frisian islands. Since 1988, a total of seven young horses up to four years ol age dred jn the same herd under clinical signs af tho :nr io f^nn nf nracc sickness. In the same area, six additional cases occurred in other herds. Typically, the affected animals were grazed on green pastures. Outbreaks of the disease occurred from March to July and were associated with weather changes towards a cooler weather with heavy, chilty winds. After an acute onset of clinical symptoms such as sweating, muscular tremor, dyspnea, tucking up the abdominal floor and arching the back, clinical signs in the presented case were dominated by dysphagia and emaciation. The animal did not pass faeces until the foutlh day after realisation of the disease when diarrhoea was observed for one day. From the fifth to the ninth day 01 the disease no faeces were passed. However, diarrhoea reoccurred from the tenth day on. Intensive symptomatic therapy was carried out. Since the clinical symptoms persisted and the animal developed an additional hyperlipemia, euthanasia was performed two weeks after onset of clinical signs. At necropsy, macroscopic findings included a focal, chronic ulceratron of the cutaneous gastnc mucosa, an acute parasitic colitis and lymphadenitis of the colonic lymphnodes. By histology, degenerative lesions were identified in the autonomic nervous system, the dorsal root ganglia, specific brain stem nuclei and the spinal cord grey matter. Affected neurones and ganglial cells exhibited an eosinophilia of the c\,toplasnr, chromatolysis, margination of pyknotic nuclei and to some degree vacuolisation. In the autonomic plexus and ganglia, the number of ganglial cells was markedly reduced. ln the coeliacomesenteric ganglion, the amount of non neuronal cells was increased. By immunohistochenristry, infiltrations of predominantly T-lymphocytes were detected in a diffuse and follicular pattern. The direct cause of the disease was not determined. However, it was concluded that grass sickness may occur on a sporadic basis in Germany.

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An attempt to reproduce ‘mal seco’ in horses by feeding them Festuca argentina

Cited by 9 publications

References 10 publications

Equine grass sickness

Equine grass sickness

Epidemiology of equine grass sickness: a literature review (1909–1999)

Chronic Grass Sickness (equine dysautonomia) in a 21years old lcelandic mare on a north frisian island

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