Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is caused by Lawsonia intracellularis, an obligate intracellular bacterium. It causes protein-losing enteropathy in weanling foals, with weight loss, ventral edema and sometimes diarrhea or colic. Treatment with an intracellularly active antimicrobial is effective, and about 90% of treated foals survive (MSD).
Key facts
Proliferative enteropathy (Lawsonia intracellularis) at a glance- Species and system: foals and weanlings; small intestine (hyperplastic mucosa).
- Age: 3 to 12 months, most commonly 4 to 6 months.
- Cause: Lawsonia intracellularis, which also infects pigs, rodents and ratites; survives about 2 weeks in the environment; fecal-oral route suspected.
- Classic presentation: a weanling with weight loss, lethargy, ventral edema, hypoproteinemia and thickened small intestine on ultrasound.
- Treatment: oxytetracycline IV then doxycycline PO.
- Zoonotic: no zoonotic risk is described on the MSD page.
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Working through a case
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 3 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
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