B201
- CONTAGIOUS EQUINE METRITIS
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Nature of the disease
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Contagious Equine Metritis is a disease due to a coccibacillus, Taylorella
equigenitallis causing metritis in mares.
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Classification
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OIE, List B disease
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Susceptible species
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Equines
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Distribution
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Only present in Europe and Japan. In the Pacific Region only Australia
reported the disease where it has not been recorded since 1980.
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Clinical signs
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Incubation period is 10-14 days, mares show:
- Abundant mucopurulent vaginal discharge,
- Shortened oestrous cycle,
- Spontaneous recovery after 3-4 weeks, sometimes mares become
chronic carriers for many months
No clinical sign in males
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Post-mortem findings
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Not applicable.
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Differential diagnosis
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- Infection by Streptococcus zooepiemicus,
- Dourine.
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Specimens required for diagnosis
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In females:
swab from the cervix or
endometrium; combined swab from urethra, clitoral fossa and clitoral
sinuses
In males: swab from the
prepuce, anterior urethra and urethral fossa.
Swab should be kept in transport
medium at ambient temperature, the organism is cultivated and
then identified using biochemical testing, latex agglutination kit based
on monoclonal antibodies is also used.
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| Transmission |
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Sexual. Iatrogenic transmission by artificial insemination and veterinary material can also occur.
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Risk of introduction |
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Contagious Equine Metritis could be introduced by importation of infected
animals, materials or semen.
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Control / vaccines
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There is no vaccine, the control of the disease is made by systematic testing of
stallions and mares before mating and diagnosis confirmation in
case of suspicion.
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| References
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- GEERING WA, FORMAN AJ, NUNN MJ, Contagious Equine Metritis In Exotic Diseases of
Animals, Aust
Gov Publishing Service, Canberra, 1995, p. 316-320
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Contagious Equine Metritis, In Veterinary Medicine, Saunders, Eight ed,
1997, London p. 1019-1020
- Office International des Epizooties, 2002
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Office
Vétérinaire Fédéral Suisse
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