Equine Proliferative Enteropathy

Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is an enteric disease caused by the obligate, intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis. EPE is typically seen in weanling and yearling horses during the fall and early winter months in North America.

Clinical signs of ventral edema, diarrhea and hypoalbuminemia combined with the time of year and age of the horse can be almost pathognomonic for EPE. Cases are most commonly seen in August through January. Young horses between two and eight months of age are most commonly represented; however, cases have been reported in adult horses.