Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome - Essay Examplet the conditions at that time in March was unusually cold followed by above normal temperatures in April, which stimulated rapid plant growth and coincident increase in the number of eastern tent caterpillars. Wild Cherry trees were the principal source of food for these caterpillars. Lack of abortion in areas where these caterpillars did not outlive and later experimental intragastric inoculation of pregnant mares with caterpillar extracts confirmed the reason for these abortions (merckvetmanual.com).The MRLS syndrome in addition to early/late fetal loss is characterized by uveitis, pericarditis and phrenitis and occurs due to tissue penetration by barbed setal fragments from Eastern tent caterpillars, Malacosoma americanum (Tobin et al, 2004). After ingestion the barbed setal fragments migrate through pitiful tissues followed by rapid spread of bacteria, bacterial emboli and septic fragments of setae, collectively known as septic ma terials (Tobin et al, 2004). A number of bacteria are carried by the setal fragments in moving tissues, blood, uterus and fetal membranes of pregnant mares. Pharmacokinetic studies and studies on the structure of the setae revealed barbs on them which facilitated the rapid spread of bacteria as hitchhikers. Clinically affected tissues show a curt antibacterial response as bacterial contamination of tissues and extracellular fluids is very rapid. It has been proposed that MRLS also includes an immunosuppressive mechanism which predisposes the affected horses to opportunistic bacterial infection (Flaminio et al, 2005). pathological lesions when MRLS is suspected are consistent with bacterial infection as the cause. Streptococcus, Actinobacillus species and Serratia were some of the prominent bacterial species isolated from horses suffering from MRLS.Sebastian M.M. et al (2008) propose twain hypotheses for MRLS. According to one, the syndrome is produced due to an Eastern tent cater pillar toxin complicated with secondary bacterial