Equine Disease Surveillance Report Q4 Oct – Dec 2024

The Quarterly Equine Disease Report from Equine Surveillance is now available. Please see Page 12 for Equine Grass Sickness.

https://equinesurveillance.org/landing/resources/reports/dsr20234.pdf

An equine grass sickness (EGS) surveillance scheme was established in spring 2008 to facilitate the
investigation of changes in geographical distribution and incidence of the disease in Great Britain. Data
gathered by this scheme is collated in a strictly confidential database. Having up to date reports from across the country will help provide an accurate representation of numbers of EGS cases nationwide and is vital to help continue epidemiological research into the disease.

Reporting cases of EGS to the Equine Grass Sickness Fund (EGSF) can be done by either the attending veterinary surgeon or the owner,
at https://moredungroup.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/equine-grass-sickness-biobank-owner-questionnaire. Please
note that figures for EGS contained in the laboratory report may differ to the number of cases reported here, which are reported by both owners and veterinary surgeons.

For the period October to December 2023, there was one case of EGS reported to the Equine Grass Sickness Fund, with details in Table 4. This was an acute case which did not survive. Positive diagnosis was confirmed by post-mortem examination. The premises history noted that the animal was grazing 24/7 with a recent change of field and had co-grazed with a 20-year-old donkey gelding and a nine-year-old Connemara gelding for three years.