High-Tech Tool To Diagnose Rainrot

Rainrot is a common, painful skin condition affecting horses that are exposed to rainfall for an extended period of time. Caused by an opportunistic bacterium, a horse exposed to wet, humid conditions can rapidly develop a crusting infection that causes tight scabs in a drip pattern down his back, rump and flanks. Rainrot can also show up on areas of the horse that are in contact with wet grass, like on the lower legs and muzzle.

Though many horses can be treated for rainrot with over-the-counter products, older horses and those with comprised immune systems tend to get more-severe infections that may require veterinary intervention. When dealing with a severe case, a vet will generally sample the crusts and examine it under a microscope, looking for the specific bacteria that causes rainrot.

A New option available to veterinarians is the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. This DNA-amplification technique is commonly used in gene sequencing and forensic analysis, as well as for diagnosing infectious diseases. Extremely sensitive, PCR is a routine diagnostic test for most labs and it's affordable: The test isn't as expensive as most cytology tests.

Once run, it can differentiate between rainrot and other skin conditions, which will assist in determining a course of treatment, shortening the trial-and-error efforts sometimes needed to assist with healing.

Read more at EQUUS magazine.

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Quarantine Lifted On Belmont Barn After Suspect Horse Tests Negative For Equine Herpesvirus

Officials at the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) have removed the precautionary quarantine placed on Barn 37 at Belmont Park after test results for a horse with a suspected case of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) came back negative.

Freudnme, a 4-year-old colt trained by Chris Englehart, exhibited fever and neurological symptoms on Saturday morning, which triggered a precautionary quarantine of all 37 horses stabled in Barn 37 at Belmont. In addition, heightened biosecurity measures were immediately implemented throughout the barn and all horses were monitored for fever and other symptoms.

All horses in Barn 37 were found to be afebrile and asymptomatic.

Following the negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which were performed at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., the precautionary quarantine has been lifted effective immediately. As a result, horses stabled in Barn 37 can enter races and train among the general population.

Freudnme is currently under the care of a private veterinarian and is being closely monitored. He last raced at Finger Lakes Racetrack in the Ontario County Stakes on June 24, 2019, where he finished second.

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