Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

• Genus:Taylorella.
• Species:equigenitalis.

Active Forms

Clinical Effects

Epidemiology

Habitat

• Stallions: urethral fossa, urethral sinus, prepuce and urethra.
• Recovered mares: clitoral fossa and sinuses and the uterus in some mares .

Transmission

• Usually sexual.
• Can also be spread on fomites, eg veterinary instruments.

Pathological effects

• Recovered animals are resistant to disease for several months, but may be re-infected.
• Antibody titers are of short duration and are unrelated to carrier status.
• Sexual transmission to mare   →   endometritis     within a few days   Uterus: contagious equine metritis  .
• T. equigenitalisdamages uterine epithelium   →   covered by neutrophilic exudate   →   mononuclear infiltrate in endometrial stroma           →   some cases develop mucoid to mucopurulent vulval discharge.
• Metritis resolves spontaneously in a few weeks, with complete resolution of endometrial damage.
• No lasting impairment of fertility.
• May infect placenta, but rarely associated with abortion   Abortion: overview  .
• Congenital infection has been reported.

Other Host Effects

• Carried asymptomatically in stallions and many recovered mares.

Control

Control via animal

• Intra-uterine infusion of disinfectant or antimicrobials.
• Topical treatment.
• Systemic antibiotics.

Control

• Imported stallions: cleansing and antibacterials applied to external genitalia.
• Mate imported stallions to uninfected mares, then culture mares forT. equigenitalisand test serologically for development of antibodies to the bacterium .
• Culture from uterus or cervix, clitoral fossa and clitoral sinuses of imported mares repeatedly during one estrus cycle.
• Surgical obliteration of the clitoral sinuses to eliminate carriage in mares   Clitoris: surgery  .

Control via chemotherapies

• Topical treatment: cleanse clitoral fossa with 2% chlorhexidine   Chlorhexidine  followed by 0.2% nitrofurazone   Therapeutics: nitrofurans / nitroimidazoles / quinolones  ointment.
• Systemic antimicrobials: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole   Sulfadoxine with Trimethoprim  ; cefotaxime tried with questionable benefit.

Control via environment

• Not indicated.

Vaccination

• None currently available.

Other countermeasures

• Hygiene during breeding is important.

Diagnosis

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Moore et al (2001) Molecular surveillance of the incidence of Taylorella equigenitalis and Psedomonas aeruginosa from horses in Ireland by sequence-specific PCR. Equine Vet J 33 (3), 319-322 PubMed.
• Katz J B, Evans L E et al (2000) Clinical, bacteriologic, serologic and pathologic features of infections with atypical Taylorella equigenitalis in mares. JAVMA 216 (12), 1945-1948 PubMed.
• Timoney P J (1996) Contagious equine metritis. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 19 (3), 199-204 PubMed.

Other sources of information

• Horserace Betting Levy Board (2016) Codes of Practice. 5th Floor, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3HF, UK. Tel: +44 (0)207 333 0043; Fax: +44 (0)207 333 0041; Email: enquiries@hblb.org.uk; Website: http://codes.hblb.org.uk.