Pigeon Fever Outbreak in Wash. & Ore

[highcountry]

As we just saw on this BB, the Hytyme fund raiser ride was cancel due to an outbreak of Pigeon fever in their area. Hytyme is located in northwest Oregon. I just received another email stating there is an outbreak now in Clark county Washington state. This is in southwest Washington, just north across the Columbia river.

Here is a link if you would like to educate yourself about Pigeon fever, www.completerider.com/ucolorado/PIGEONFEVERINEQUINES.html

From what I read on the above web site, Pigeon fever is very similar to Strangles. Many people on this web site are familiar with Strangles. The good news is, Strangles has a vaccine and Pigeon fever does not.

Does anyone else have any information about Pigeon fever or know of any other areas with out breaks?

This information is worth sharing with your friends. This is highly contagious.

[mtangel]

FACT SHEET: PIGEON FEVER IN EQUINES

Common Names:
Pigeon fever, pigeon breast, breastbone fever, dryland distemper, dryland strangles, false strangles, false distemperGeographic Incidence: Endemic to California, but now found in most Western states in the U.S.Seasonal: Usually appears in late fall but can appear sporadically at any time of year.

Cause: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Vaccine: None at this time.

Reservoirs and mode of transmission: Can live in the soil and enter the horse's body through wounds or broken skin and through mucous membranes.
May possibly be transmitted by flies, including the common housefly and horn flies.
Disease is usually highly contagious and can easily infect multiple horses on the premises.
Bacterium in the pus draining from abscesses on infected horses can survive from one to 55 days in the environment. It has also been shown to survive from one to eight days on surface contaminants and from seven to 55 days within feces, hay, straw or wood shavings.
Lower temperatures prolong the survival time.

Clinical signs: Early signs can include lameness, fever, lethargy, depression and weight loss.
Infections can range from mild, small, localized abscesses to a severe disease with multiple massive abscesses containing liters of liquid, tan-colored pus.
External, deep abscesses, swelling and multiple sores develop along the chest, midline and groin area, and, occasionally, on the back.

Incubation period: Horses may become infected but not develop abscesses for weeks.Animals affected:The disease usually manifests in younger horses, but can occur in any age, sex, and breed.
A different biotype of the organism is responsible for a chronic contagious disease of sheet and goats, Caseous lymphadenitis, or CL. Either biotype can occur in cattle.

Disease forms: Generally 3 types: external abscesses, internal abscesses or limb infection (ulcerative lymphangitis).
The ulcerative lymphangitis is the most common form worldwide and rarely involves more than one leg at a time. Usually, multiple small, draining sores develop above the fetlock.
The most common form of the disease in the United States is external abscessation, which often form deep in the muscles and can be very large. Usually they appear in the pectoral region, the ventral abdomen and the groin area. After spontaneous rupture, or lancing, the wound will exude liquid, light tan-colored, malodorous pus.
Internal abscesses can occur and are very difficult to treat

Diagnosis: Your veterinarian can easily collect a sample for culture at a diagnostic laboratory. It is important to isolate the bacterium to get a definitive diagnosis since pigeon fever can superficially resemble other diseases.

Treatment: Hot packs or poultices should be applied to abscesses to encourage opening. Open abscesses should be drained and regularly flushed with saline.
Surgical or deep lancing may be required, depending on the depth of the abscess or the thickness of the capsule, and should be done by your veterinarian.
Ultrasound can aid in locating deep abscesses so that drainage can be accomplished.
External abscesses can be cleaned with a 0.1 percent povidone-iodine solution
Antiseptic soaked gauze may be packed into the open wound
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as phenylbutazone can be used to control swelling and pain
Antibiotics are controversial. Their use in these cases has sometimes been associated with chronic abscessation and, if inadequately used, may contribute to abscesses, according to one study.
The most commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of this condition is procaine penicillin G, administered intramuscularly, or trimethoprim-sulfa.
In the case of internal abscesses, prolonged penicillin therapy is necessary

Care required: Buckets or other containers should be used to collect pus from draining abscesses and this infectious material should be disposed of properly.
Consistent and careful disposal of infected bedding, hay, straw or other material used in the stall is vitally important.
Thoroughly clean and disinfect stalls, paddocks, all utensils and tack.
Pest control for insects is also very important.

Recovery time: Usually anywhere from two weeks to 77 days.

Prognosis: Usually good with complete recovery, although some horses may experience recurrence.

[cutiepiepmu]

Every few years a wide spread outbreak of pigeon fever happens. It is icky stuff, but if you keep your area clean and don't expose horses that are not infected - there is less of a chance of spreading, especially now that the weather is getting cooler and the fly population is dying back.

Remembering to not give antibiotics until the absesses open fully or are opened by your vet is really important - but more often than not, once the absesses are opened things are completely resolved in a couple of weeks.

Sara

[pnp4kidz]

it lives in the dirt, it is NOT highly contagious.
actually, most often only a single or few horses even on large ranches get it...
it is highly UNLIKELY to spread horse to horse even with DIRECT contact.

let's at least keep rumors to a low roar...

[mickeyfan3]

One horse at our barn recovering from it now....(Livermore)

[TashGaia]

Sept 23, 2008 15:17:04 GMT -5 pnp4kidz said:

it lives in the dirt, it is NOT highly contagious.
actually, most often only a single or few horses even on large ranches get it...
it is highly UNLIKELY to spread horse to horse even with DIRECT contact.

let's at least keep rumors to a low roar...

Sounds like every horse on the property got it here... are you *sure* it is not contagious?

sosequines.proboards42.com/index.cgi?board=resources&action=display&thread=1635&page=1

[pnp4kidz]

Yes, I'm sure.
It is in the dirt, so on 'bad years' when the spores can multiply, it is more prevalent. This is a 'bad year', so expect it to crop up.
On Kelly's ranch, a total is three horses it sounds... NOT ALL...
that is most common, that it is found in a few horses, generally all at the similar or same time... not ongoing for months on end, horse, then another, then another... etc.
it it was contageous, one horse to another, that would be how you'd see it...
one horse would 'bring it', then after the incubation period of 3 weeks you'd see a whole bunch more, then after another 3 weeks incubation, you'd see many more (it multiplies), but with Coryne, you don't see that. You see random horses on a ranch and in the neighboring areas affected.

They did a study testing the flies on a ranch... gross I know, but they found that the flies carried it from dirt to the horses... not horse to horse.

Be calm, this is a very common disease, and it runs its course, then goes dormant. You can help by fly control, but it may or may not prevent it. You mostly want supportive treatment for the horse.

I had three out of 25 horses with it two years ago, and none last year, none this year.... unless you count the one who got it internally and finally finished his long term treatment this year.
All the horses who got it were either very old or very young or with immune system stress, as is most common. The horses were in three DIFFERENT pasture areas, and one was in my big pasture group and not a single other in that pasture got it... it is sporatic like that. We had many cases in our city that year, but only two or three per ranch max.

[TashGaia]

Ah, OK. Do you have any sources where that information can be read? From the other thread, I was under the impression that it was indeed contagious as that is what their cited sources said.

This is what they said in my local newspaper... "The infection is contagious among horses, so owners should isolate infected animals. Down said it's important to drain the abscess so it doesn't infect other horses — then clean up well." (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003958953_webpigeionfever18.html)

I guess it is obvious why with so much conflicting information, the rumors are roaring.

[pnp4kidz]

Here is a current article from 'The Horse' written by the UC Davis experts, they are "THE" experts on coryne...

Pigeon Fever Update
by: Kimberly S. Brown, Editor
February 03 2003, Article # 4110
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There are hundreds of cases of pigeon fever each year in California, said Nathan Slovis, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, from his experience working at the University of California, Davis. Slovis, who currently is an internal medicine specialist at the Haygard-Davidson-McGee medicine clinic in Lexington, Ky., presented a lecture at the Gluck Equine Research Center on Jan. 27 that covered several topics, including pigeon fever.

Pigeon fever is caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, which can exist in the environment for weeks or months, said Slovis. The term pigeon fever arises from the fact that the majority of the abscesses arise underneath the pectoral musculature. When the lymph node becomes enlarged and an abscess forms, the pectorals become enlarged and can look like a “pigeon breast.” He said that the disease is “here to stay” in Kentucky, and that veterinarians and horse owners need to become educated and aware of the symptoms in order to get immediate and appropriate treatment for horses.

He said this disease is seen in horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and occasionally affects humans. There is a difference in strains. There are two species-specific strains of pigeon fever based on the difference of nitrate reduction. Horses are affected by nitrate+ strains, while that of small ruminanats (goats and sheep) are affected by nitrate– strains. Cattle can be infected with both strains. Therefore horses cannot be affected by the same strains as the small ruminants. In regards to cattle, there is a slight chance that a nitrate+ strain infecting a cow could infect a horse. Humans are not affected by nitrate+ strains that the horses are exposed to, so there is no need to worry about being infected from a horse that has a draining abscess.

Because of the huge swelling that can occur, “A common complaint from the horse owner is that the horse got kicked,” commented Slovis. “But if you get out the ultrasound machine and look at it, it’s an abscess.”

Slovis noted an increase in the disease throughout the United States last year, especially in Colorado, Kentucky, Montana, and California. Coincidentally, Colorado, Montana, and Kentucky had more cases of West Nile virus last year, especially in the first two-named states.

A retrospective study of 528 pigeon fever horses by Dr. Monica Aleman and Dr. Sharon Spier from UC Davis showed that during the months of September, October, and November, the largest number of cases occurred when dry months were followed by heavy rainfall. Slovis said this is suggestive of a vector (such as the horn fly), but that has not been proven even though Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis has been detected in horn flies.
Slovis said the study had a higher incidence of disease in younger horses (less than two years of age) as opposed to mature horses. The study also showed that 496 of the 538 horses in had external abscesses; 42 had internal abscesses.

“This bacteria can enter the lymphatics and bloodstream,” said Slovis in explaining the spread of the disease in the horse.

Clinical signs include edema (swelling), fever, lameness, non-healing wound, lymphangitis (swelling of the lymphatics often seen in the hind limbs of horses), anorexia (unwilling to eat), and mastitis (infection in the mammary glands).

Diagnosis is based on clinical signs, time of year, culture, and a rise in titer (from blood samples) for internal abscesses.

Treatment for external abscesses usually calls for allowing the abscess to mature without antibiotic use, which seems to prolong the maturation of the abscess to drainage while not “curing” the disease; lancing the abscess (being careful not to contaminate the environment with the exudate); and hot packs. Treatment for internal abscesses and lymphangitis includes long-term antibiotics (possibly including Rifampin, TMS, or Chloramphenicol).

“If internal abscesses have not affected the internal organs, then you have a good chance in saving the horse,” said Slovis.

Prevention of the disease centers on insect control, use of fly sheets on the horses, and decreasing environmental contamination.

“You don’t usually see an ‘outbreak’ on a farm,” noted Slovis.

In 2002 at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee, there were 23 cases of pigeon fever seen by the veterinarians starting in September. Thus far in 2003, there have been three cases at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee, including one that caused an abortion. The organism was not able to be grown from that fetus, but cytology was positive for the disease.

“The Kentucky Diagnostic Lab usually sees only two or three cases a year,” said Slovis. “Hagyard-Davidson-McGee only had one in the five years prior to 2002.”

One of the points Slovis reiterated was that this disease occurs after dry weather and followed by a wet season. His impression was that there was a higher number of horn flies in Kentucky in the fall of 2002 that coincided with the increased number of pigeon fever cases. “It’s something to watch out for next year,” he said.

In discussing pregnant mares and pigeon fever and the potential for the fetus to have the disease, Slovis said he still would not recommend treating an affected mare with antibiotics unless she is showing clinical signs of illness (i.e., anorexia, fevers, depression, lethargy) or has an internal abscess. Even though it has been shown that the fetus can be affected by C. pseudotuberculosis, the incidence is very low.

[pnp4kidz]

and another (sorry, I cut and paste cause you have to have a subscription to get 'in' the site)


Pigeon Fever: Abscesses Within and Without
by: Nancy S. Loving, DVM
April 01 2005, Article # 5640
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The first thought that might run through your mind as you approach your horse in the pasture and see his swollen chest or belly is that he has been kicked. As you await your vet, you think back over the past few days, and realize that perhaps he felt a little more sluggish than usual, moved with a little more stiffness than normal, and in general, he hasn't behaved like his usual, shiny self. If he had been kicked in recent hours, then how come he hasn't been quite right for a few days? Rather than your horse experiencing blunt trauma, what he might be doing, in fact, is growing an infection.

A bacterial infection that used to be confined primarily to California has recently made its way in epidemic proportions through the western United States, particularly Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona, as well as showing up in Kentucky. This disease is referred to by many names, among them dryland distemper, pigeon breast, or pigeon fever. Although this disease appears worldwide, it has a predilection for the arid western United States, being at its worst in drought years. And although it occurs seasonally mostly in the fall months, it occasionally appears as early as summer.

Dryland distemper is caused by bacterial infection with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, which localizes in deep abscesses in the breast (pectoral) muscles, along the abdomen, and/or in the groin (sheath or udder) region. It is dubbed "pigeon fever" because in profile the swelling on the chest resembles the rounded appearance of a pigeon's breast. Pigeons have nothing to do with causing or spreading the disease.

No doubt you'd love to see your veterinarian appear and immediately fix the problem, but this is not always the case. These abscesses might take weeks to months to grow to the point where they can be effectively lanced and drained. Some horses will spike a fever for a day or even many days. Most continue to eat, although they act lethargic. Many demonstrate discomfort or lameness due to pectoral muscle swelling, which usually gets worse before it gets better. Swelling expands around an abscess, forming plaques of edema (fluid swelling) along the belly and/or between the front legs. The sheath or udder enlarges if infection localizes there. Since these abscesses invade the lymph nodes and act like space-occupying masses, they block normal lymphatic drainage, adding to swelling, local edema, and discomfort.

Incidence and Forms of Infection

Corynebacteria organisms can live in the soil at all times, but they become most pathogenic during drought conditions. Dryland distemper is thought to be transmitted through an abrasion, wound, or mucus membranes. Since these infections appear to peak during the autumn months when flies are particularly abundant, it is probable that flies serve as vectors to carry organisms to the skin.

Sharon Spier, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor in the department of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, has researched insect vectors for pigeon fever. "We were able to identify the organism in three species of flies from farms that were experiencing outbreaks," says Spier. "The flies were horn flies, stable flies, and houseflies. At farms where diseased horses were present, 20% of the houseflies were positive. The flies became negative once the disease outbreaks halted, which suggests that the reservoir is not the flies, but likely the soil. This is an area we are now investigating."

Even when a horse on a property contracts pigeon fever, it doesn't mean that all or any other horses in that location will develop the disease. The presence or extent of the infection seems to depend largely upon an individual horse's immune system and how well he can fight off this organism.

Spier comments that adaptations of the organism amplify infective capabilities. She explains that an exotoxin produced by Cornebacteria increases permeability of the blood vessels to facilitate deeper invasion into the tissues, surrounding muscle, and to regional lymph nodes. Protective mechanisms of the bacterial cell wall enable its survival and continued replication despite being scavenged by white blood cells (macrophages) that target foreign invaders. In addition, exotoxin produced by the bacteria might inactivate the ability of the macrophages to disable them.

An active immune system is a horse's best defense against infection, and that is what differentiates horses that don't develop abscesses from those that do.

Although not common, it is possible for infection to travel to internal organs, such as the liver, kidneys, or heart. There might be no other indications that a horse has a simmering infection other than continually declining health problems. He might demonstrate weight loss, fever, depressed appetite, lethargy, colic, and a variety of other symptoms depending on where in the body the abscess has started. A veterinarian should be asked to examine any horse that displays symptoms of poor health, or if a horse with known exposure stops eating or drinking.

Any swelling in the groin or difficulty in using one or both rear legs should also receive prompt veterinary attention. If infection lodges in the rear limbs, it can cause a chronic syndrome known as ulcerative lymphangitis that can be difficult to resolve.

In affected horses, swelling is usually restricted to one rear limb, which can swell to gargantuan proportions. Once lodged in the lymphatic system in that limb, some degree of leg swelling can remain indefinitely, with signs of systemic illness and limb swelling recurring intermittently over many years.

Treatment

When the disease takes the superficial form, causing large abscesses on the chest or small ones along the ventral abdomen, it becomes a matter of patience until these can be resolved. With time, an abscess on the chest will finally "point," mature, and feel soft to the touch. At that point, it can be drained by your veterinarian. The abscesses located along the belly can open and drain on their own because there is less tissue to break through. Since these belly abscesses are pointing down, gravity brings them to a head more quickly.

In an effort to wall off an infection, the horse's body builds a thick capsule around the abscess to contain it, particularly when it's located deep in the chest muscles. This necessitates local anesthetic and a scalpel incision to make an opening through the skin and the capsule. Many times, this capsule is honeycombed with strong, fibrous strands that separate the abscess into separate pockets of pus. An ultrasound exam is helpful in locating the multitude of abscess pockets. These capsules are loaded with thick, creamy pus, as much as a quart at a time, which flows freely through the incision.

A container should be held beneath the opening to collect as much of the infectious drainage as possible for removal from the premises.

Once drained, the abscess pocket is irrigated daily with a dilute povidone iodine solution made by mixing 10 mL of povidone iodine in 1 liter of saline.

The use of antibiotics is controversial; unless there are extenuating circumstances such as internal abscesses or ulcerative lymphangitis, it is recommended that the horse affected by external or pectoral abscesses not be given antibiotics. If a horse is placed on antibiotics prematurely, in most cases the infection will simply simmer along and resurface when antibiotics are discontinued. Supportive care includes:

Hot packing of the swollen area to help bring the abscess to a head, improve circulation, resolve edema, and to make the horse more comfortable;
Administration of a low dose of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication (phenylbutazone or flunixin meglumine) once a day if swelling or lameness is extreme or if the horse feels so poorly that he is not eating and drinking. Only administer such anti-inflammatory medications under advisement of your veterinarian.
Recovery can take as little as two weeks or as long as two to three months. It has been reported that 91% of infected horses recover with no subsequent relapse or re-infection; these individuals might develop a long-lasting immunity. In others, despite receiving medical attention and having an abscess lanced and drained, it is possible that a horse will form another or several abscesses near the original swelling. Usually these are of lesser consequence and some resolve spontaneously. Even when fly season has abated with freezing temperatures, it is still possible for an infection to show up due to lengthy incubation time (think months, not days or weeks).

The ulcerative lymphangitis form and disease disseminated into internal organs do not respond well to treatment. Internal abscessation can be identified with testing of a blood sample sent to UC Davis or Texas A&M for serologic testing for antibodies to C. pseudotuberculosis. Diagnostic ultrasound examination yields specific information about the organ location of internal abscesses. The prognosis for horses affected by internal abscesses is poor, mainly because the disease has persisted for a long time before there is recognition that the horse is sick.

It is estimated that 40% of horses with internal Corynebacteria abscesses will die from complications of internal organ infection.

Control

Since the bacterial organisms persist in the soil, the primary means of control is through management practices; it is impossible to completely eliminate the bacteria. Ideally, management strategies reduce the possibility of exposure, and if a horse is exposed, then techniques are applied to minimize the degree of exposure and the risk of infection. The best means of prevention and control rely on common hygienic practices:

Affected horses should be isolated, particularly if an abscess is actively draining;
Purulent material from an opened abscess should be collected into a container and disposed of properly;
Contaminated stalls, bedding, blankets, tack, tools, and equipment should be disinfected;
People should be aware that they, too, can serve as vectors to transmit infectious material from horse to horse. Sick horses should be handled or fed only after healthy horses have been attended. Hands should be washed after handling sick horses. Care should be taken to change clothing and shoes that have been contaminated with pus or that have contacted a sick horse;
Rakes, shovels, and manure carts should not be transferred from areas containing sick horses;
Insect vectors should be controlled with ample use of fly spray and the use of protective fly sheets and fly face masks; and
Preventive herd health strategies (such as deworming, vaccination, dental care, and good dietary management) should be used to maintain a horse in the best of health with a strong immune system competent to ward off infection.
The bacteria in the pus of draining abscesses can remain infective for almost two months in manure, hay, straw, and shavings. On surfaces of stalls, floors, and equipment, the bacteria can remain viable for at least a week, and it could persist longer in cold environmental temperatures. Horses in exposed areas should be monitored carefully, and rectal temperatures should be taken daily. Refrain from scheduling elective surgery, such as castration, on horses during an active outbreak.

Spier notes, "I have seen several infections post-castration; the surgery site heals well, then two weeks to one month later abscesses occur in the surgical area."

A similar strain of Corynebacteria occurs in small ruminants, for which there is a vaccine.

Current research efforts conducted by Spier at UC Davis are focused on development of an equine vaccine. Although the research shows promise, to date there is no reliable vaccine for horses.

[pnp4kidz]

One more, this is a link...

www.steinbeckequine.com/pigeonfever.shtml

[pnp4kidz]

links like these I can get a million of, they are every vet in the CA region who has a website, we see lots of coryne here...

www.novickdvm.com/pigeon.htm

[cutiepiepmu]

Pigeon fever is gross like strangles but not spread like strangles. with horses I have had that got it - most were "belly scratchers" meaning that they would lay down adn rock their bellies on the ground to itch - mostly sweet itch horses -

It is important to clean up the icky drainage to keep it from getting to the soil though.

There are HUGE rumors flying around and alot of very concerned horse owners. BUT - for the most part pigeon fever is not that big of a deal - eveni f it is really gross. Kind of like dealing with an absess in the foot - it is really icky and painful, but RARELY life threatening.

sara