Transferable Toxin? Study Finds Atypical Myopathy Can Pass In Mare’s Milk

Atypical myopathy is a disorder that affects a horse's muscles and is caused by ingestion of seeds, seedlings, or leaves of some plants in the Acer family. Not all trees in the Acer family contain the toxin, but horse owners and caretakers should be cognizant that the disease is fatal to nearly three quarters of horses that become affected. Some horses are more susceptible to the toxin than others. 

If a mare becomes affected by atypical myopathy she may transfer the toxin to her foal. This also places humans who drink mare's milk at risk of contracting the disease. Some Central Asian cultures prefer mare's milk to cow's milk.

In a study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Johannes Sander investigated a case of atypical myopathy that affected both a mare and newborn foal in Germany. The mare had been grazing in a field next to Acer pseudoplatanus trees (known in the United Kingdom and Europe as a “sycamore” or “sycamore maple” in the States). Upon testing, Sander found that the mare's milk contained hypoglycin A, the toxin implicated in atypical myopathy, as well as significant metabolites. 

The research team also examined samples of six different brands of frozen mare's milk available for human consumption across Germany. One of the samples contained metabolites of the toxin. The authors concluded that the toxins can pass through mare's milk to foals or to humans who ingest it. They caution that the same toxins can be found in seeds and unripe fruit from the ackee or lychee, which could potentially harm breast-fed children, and suggest more investigation into the human health implications.

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Atypical Myopathy: Why Are Only Some Horses Affected?

Equine atypical myopathy is an unusual, deadly disease which is poorly-understood. If a group of horses is turned out together, only some will be affected by the debilitating disease, caused by the ingestion of the seeds or saplings of specific trees in the Acer family.

Equine atypical myopathy typically affects horses that live on pasture in the spring and fall. It has been seen in Europe since the mid-1990s. Some 2,500 cases have been reported in the last decade. 

Researchers believe intestinal bacteria may play a role in why some horses get the disease while herdmates don't. Drs. Christina Wimmer-Scherr, Bernard Taminiau, Benoît Renaud, Gunther van Loon, Katrien Palmers, Dominique Votion, Hélène Amory, Georges Daube and Carla Cesarini hypothesized that fecal microbiota may play a role in whether or not horses became affected by the disease.

The study team used fecal samples from 59 horses with atypical myopathy that were referred to Belgian clinics: 29 horses that survived and 30 that didn't. The team also used 26 healthy horses that shared pastures with the affected horses during the outbreak periods. 

The team concluded that horses suffering from atypical myopathy have different fecal microbiota than their healthy counterparts. The changes were more severe in horses that didn't survive the disease.  

Horses impacted by atypical myopathy will suddenly become stiff and weak; they will have a rapid heart rate and dark urine. As the disease progresses, the horse may be unable to rise, experience breathing issues and eventually die. There is no cure and treatment of symptoms is often unsuccessful. The mortality rate is between 43 and 97 percent.

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