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A Manatee County horse has been diagnosed with Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), an animal disease that the U.S. has been considered free of since 1988. Blood and tissue testing of a 7-year-old gelding that had been euthanized after a three-week illness confirmed the presence of the disease in the animal.
State officials immediately quarantined the premises in which the horse resided, as well as two adjacent properties containing horses pending a determination of their status. An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the State Veterinarian’s Office to determine the source of the disease and whether it has spread beyond the immediate area where the infected animal was housed.
Equine Piroplasmosis is a blood-borne parasitic disease primarily transmitted to horses by ticks or contaminated needles. The disease was eradicated from Florida in the 1980s, and the tick species believed to transmit EP in other countries have not been identified in Florida in many years. This disease is not directly contagious from one horse to another but requires direct blood transfer. Human infection with equine piroplasmosis is extremely rare.
Acutely affected horses can have depression, fever, anemia (decreased red blood cells) jaundiced (yellow) mucous membranes and low platelet counts. EP can also cause horses to have roughened hair coats, constipation, and colic. In its milder form, the disease causes horses to appear weak and show lack of appetite. Some horses become chronic carriers of the disease.
By law, suspected cases must be reported to the Office of the State Veterinarian.
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