Sarcocystis fayeri Associated Anti-Toxin in Serum from Horses with Neuromuscular Disease

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a syndrome in which the inflammatory component of disease is an identifying criterion for histological diagnosis, but not addressed in clinical diagnosis or treatment. Two parasites, Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi, are generally believed to be the cause EPM in horses. Elucidating the nature of the immune response in EPM, determining how S neurona causes disease and whether organisms need to be present to cause pathologic changes and clinical signs remain the highest priority areas identified by scientists.6 The purpose of this study was to detect S fayeri antitoxin in horses using a synthetic peptide representing a partial sequence of S fayeri-toxin, determine the prevalence of S fayeri antitoxin in horses with neuromuscular disease, and associate clinical disease to inflammation using serum