A study out of the University of California, Davis, has shown that pigeon fever cases are on the rise and are no longer limited by geographic region or season of the year, reports EQUUS.
Pigeon fever is a bacterial infection that is spread by stable flies, houseflies, and horn flies. Horses with the infection often have abscesses in their pectoral region which resemble a pigeon's breast. Affected horses can also present with internal organ abscesses or ulcerative lymphangitis of the limbs.
First reported in 1915, the disease was initially limited to hot and arid regions, mainly occurring during the summer months when insects are most prevalent. In 2002, pigeon fever outbreaks occurred in Kentucky and Colorado.
Veterinary diagnostic labs in 23 states provided information on pigeon fever disease occurrence between 2003 and 2012. During that time, 2,237 cases were identified: 46 percent occurred between 2003 and 2010, and 54 percent of cases occurred in the last two years of the study.
States with the highest number of cases were Texas and California, where pigeon fever outbreaks are common. However, pigeon fever was also diagnosed in Michigan, North Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin – all states which had never before seen cases of pigeon fever.
The records also showed that ulcerative lymphangitis from pigeon fever increased significantly in the last two years of the study: there were 20 cases in 2011 and 2012, compared to four cases between 2003 to 2010.
The study also showed that pigeon fever occurred year-round, with the highest percentage of cases diagnosed from November to January. Researchers said this could be because milder winters could be changing insect populations.
They concluded that climate change is contributing to insect vector changes, causing higher disease incidence. They cite that fly generation times, the average time between two consecutive generations, is projected to double this century, which could significantly increase the spread of diseases like pigeon fever.
Read more at EQUUS magazine.
The post Study: Uptick In Pigeon Fever Cases May Be Related To Climate Change appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
