Researchers believe they have made a significant breakthrough in the search for the elusive causal agent for grass sickness: a neurotoxic enzyme, with intriguingly similar actions to snake venom toxins. The toxin could be produced by ingested pasture microbes or within the horse by gastrointestinal microbes. While there is no suggestion that venomous snakes cause grass sickness, it is hoped that some of the drugs that are currently being developed to treat and promote nerve regeneration in people paralysed by snake venoms can aid recovery of horses from grass sickness. This finding has the potential to lead to novel treatments and improved diagnostics for this devastating disease.

Congratulations to the team at the Dick Vet Equine Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Newcastle University, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, and the University of Padova for this finding, which represents a major clue in solving the grass sickness puzzle.

Thanks to the generosity of The British Horse Society, vets, owners and supporters, the EGS Biobank and organoid development project will be vital in carrying out the further investigations required. To this end The Equine Grass Sickness Fund will be launching a major fundraising drive in 2025.

Please donate to support grass sickness research: https://www.grasssickness.org.uk/donate/

Thank you to everyone who has supported our work over the years. No doubt there will be further twists along the road, but #TogetherWeCanBeatGrassSickness #TeamEGS

Read more about it here: Equine grass sickness linked to neurotoxic enzyme | The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

You can read the source publication here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.14442

To get involved in the fundraising drive please contact Kate at the EGSF office: info@grasssickness.org.uk

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