title: Atypical myopathy in grazing horses: a first exploratory data analysis.
abstract: Over the last decade, atypical myopathy (AM) in grazing horses has emerged in several European countries. An exploratory analysis was conducted to determine horse- and pasture-level indicators or factors associated with AM in Belgium. Belgian cases of AM confirmed by histology (n=57) were compared to their healthy co-grazing horses (n=77) and to pastured horses not involved with AM as controls (n=386). The pastures where confirmed cases were grazing (42 pastures; 38 sites; 44 incidences of AM) were compared with those of the controls (216 pastures; 96 sites; no incidence of AM). Statistically significant (P< or =0.05) exploratory variables, identified by means of adjusted odds ratios, suggested that indicators or factors associated with individual horses (young age, inactivity, body condition poor to normal), management practices (permanent pasturing, spreading of manure) and pasture characteristics (humid, sloping pastures, accumulated dead leaves, presence of waterway) may increase the risk of AM. Specific interventions based on these factors might help to reduce the incidence of AM.
authors.affiliation: Equine Teaching Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium. dominique.votion@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Dominique-M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Votion
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linden
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delguste
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amory
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Engels
authors.forename: Gaby
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Galen
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navet
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sluse
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serteyn
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saegerman
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D006109:Poaceae; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D012307:Risk Factors