In the spring of 2001 parts of the Ohio valley suffered an epidemic of equine abortions that was first noted in central Kentucky. The epidemic caused an economic loss estimated to be in excess of 300 million dollars. An epidemiological survey into the causes of the syndrome was coordinated by Dr. Robert Dwyer of the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Sciences Center and identified a possible association of the disease with high populations of Eastern Tent Caterpillars (ETC). In the spring of 2002, we manipulated exposure of mares in susceptible stages of gestation to ETC larvae and frass to examine the nature of the epidemiological correlation. In these experiments intensive exposure of mares to ETC was associated with foal loss that was indistinguishable from losses suffered during the epidemic of 2001. Moreover, experimental treatments induced foal losses before and after natural losses were reported in the central Kentucky region in 2002. the most likely route of entry of the agent is via inadvertant ingestion of larvae and/or frass by mares. The nature of the ETC-associated agent causing foal loss is being pursued in ongoing studies.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Lasiocampidae Malacosoma americanum (Eastern tent caterpillar)
Keywords: equine abortions
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