Horse diseases epm: Is EPM still fatal?Horse diseases EPM. EPM is a neurological disease that is caused by an organism believed to be spread primarily through opossum feces and perhaps bird droppings. Horses ingest the organism by drinking contaminated water or grazing where the organism was been left behind. It has been estimated that as many as half the horses in the Midwest have at one time or another ingested the parasite that causes EPM. Once ingested, the parasite's eggs migrate to the brain and spinal cord and multiply. They can remain in the horse's system for years without the horse ever developing the disease. Symptoms of EPM include weakness (especially in the hind legs), muscle wasting (often more on one side of the body than the other), stumbling or toe dragging, lack of coordination and balance, nerve damage in the ears, eyes, lips, or tongue, seizures, and collapse. If left untreated, it is usually fatal. EPM is diagnosed either through a blood test of a test of spinal fluid. The blood test tends to be less reliable, so the spinal fluid test is more definitive. In 2004, the FDA approved a new treatment for EPM called Marquis. It is a paste that is administered daily by mouth (like a dewormer) for 1-5 months (depending on the severity of the infection). Recovery rates of 60%-70% have been reported with this protocol.
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