Diseases in neonatal foals. Part 2: potential risk factors for a higher incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum.
Authors: Wohlfender F D, Barrelet F E, Doherr M G, Straub R, Meier H P
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Infectious disease in neonatal foals remains a significant concern for stud farm managers and veterinarians, yet identifying which foals face heightened risk during the critical first month of life has proved challenging. Wohlfender and colleagues prospectively monitored 1,031 Thoroughbred foals born on Newmarket studs during 2005, evaluating 28 potential risk factors (relating to the foal, mare, and stud management) using logistic regression to determine their association with infectious disease incidence, stratified by disease type including systemic illness with diarrhoea. Birth complications, administration of colostrum via stomach tube, and elevated white blood cell counts (leucocytosis) within 12–48 hours post partum emerged as significant risk factors for increased infectious disease, whilst boarding studs appeared to offer protective benefits—a finding that likely reflects management protocols and animal density considerations. Notably, several previously suspected risk factors including mare rotavirus vaccination status and elevated fibrinogen levels showed no significant association with disease incidence, nor did routine antimicrobial prophylaxis demonstrate protective effects in this cohort. Practitioners should focus assessment on birth history, colostrum delivery method, early haematological parameters, and stud management practices when risk-stratifying neonatal foals, enabling more targeted and evidence-based intervention protocols rather than blanket prophylactic approaches.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor foals closely for signs of infection if they experienced birth complications, required stomach tube colostrum administration, or show elevated white blood cell counts in the first 2 days of life—these are key risk indicators for early intervention
- •Stud management practices significantly influence neonatal disease risk; boarding operations appear to have protective factors worth investigating and implementing at home stud farms
- •Prophylactic antimicrobial treatment and routine rotavirus vaccination of mares do not reliably prevent neonatal infectious disease, suggesting resources should focus on other management and monitoring strategies
Key Findings
- •Birth complications, colostrum intake via stomach tube, and leucocytosis at 12-48 hours post partum were identified as significant risk factors for infectious disease in foals during the first 30 days
- •Boarding stud management appeared protective against infectious disease development
- •Mare's time at stud before foaling, rotavirus vaccination schedule, and prophylactic antimicrobial treatment were not confirmed as relevant risk factors despite previous empirical associations