Lawsonia intracellularis in the feces of wild rodents and stray cats captured around equine farms.

Summary

# Lawsonia intracellularis Detection in Wildlife Around Equine Facilities Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), caused by *Lawsonia intracellularis*, represents an emerging threat to foal health, yet the epidemiology and transmission routes remain poorly characterised compared to the well-documented swine form of the disease. Jeong-Min and colleagues investigated whether wild rodents and stray cats captured within and around equine farms carried faecal shedding of *L. intracellularis*, using molecular detection methods on trapped animals. The researchers identified *L. intracellularis* DNA in faecal samples from both rodent and feline populations on or near equine premises, raising the concerning possibility that these species may act as mechanical vectors or asymptomatic carriers in EPE transmission. This finding has significant implications for farm biosecurity protocols; practitioners should consider rodent and cat population management as part of comprehensive disease prevention strategies, particularly on farms with documented EPE cases or young stock at risk. Further research into whether these wildlife reservoirs shed infectious organisms and their epidemiological role in foal-to-foal transmission would help establish whether wildlife control represents a worthwhile investment in EPE prevention programmes.

Read the full abstract on PubMed

Key Findings

• •Lawsonia intracellularis was detected in fecal samples from wild rodents and stray cats captured around equine farms
• •L. intracellularis has a wide host range beyond its known primary hosts (pigs and foals)
• •Wildlife species around equine premises may serve as potential reservoirs or transmission vectors for EPE

Conditions Studied

Tags