Epizootic lymphangitis is a contagious lymphangitis

Lymphangitis

Lymphangitis is an inflammation of the lymphatic channels that occurs as a result of infection at a site distal to the channel. The most common cause of lymphangitis in humans is Streptococcus pyogenes...

 disease of horses and mules caused by caused by the fungus Histoplasma farciminosum

Histoplasma

Histoplasma is a genus of dimorphic fungi commonly found in bird and bat fecal material. Histoplasma contains a few species, including—H. capsulatum—the causative agent of histoplasmosis; and Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum , causing epizootic lymphangitis in horses...

. Cattle are also susceptible, but more resistant to the disease than equids.

See also Glanders

Glanders

Glanders is an infectious disease that occurs primarily in horses, mules, and donkeys. It can be contracted by other animals such as dogs, cats and goats...

 and Equine Lymphangitis

Equine Lymphangitis

Lymphangitis in horses is an inflammation or swelling associated with impairment of the lymphatic system, particularly in a limb. It is most commonly a bacterial infection, although bacterial culture may be negative....

.

Classification

In the UK it is a notifiable disease

Notifiable disease

A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks. Many governments have enacted regulations for reporting of both human...

; the OIE classify it as a List B Disease. These are diseases on "the List of transmissible diseases which are considered to be of socio-economic and/or public health importance within countries and which are significant in the international trade of animals and animal products". Reports of these diseases are normally submitted once a year.

Symptoms

Epizootic Lymphangitis usually presents with the following symptoms:

• Skin eruption, usually on legs, occasionally head or neck, rarely other body parts.

• The lymph vessels in the skin stand out prominently, and small hard nodules approximately 1cm (1/2") in diameter appear on their course.

• The nodules suppurate forming abscesses and discharge a thick yellow pus
  Pus
  Pus is a viscous exudate, typically whitish-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammatory during infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection of pus within or beneath the epidermis is known as a pustule or...
  
  . Proud flesh
  Proud Flesh
  Proud Flesh is a German rock band from the early Krautrock era. The band was formed in 1969 in the former diplomat's city of Bonn-Bad-Godesberg and split up in 1972...
  
   grows from the wounds, the lymph vessels around being inflamed
  Inflammation
  Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
  
  , and the eruption gradually extends.

• The neighbouring glands are swollen and hard. The ulcers heal with difficulty, even under treatment, and they may break out again after an apparent cure had been effected.

Diagnosis

This disease is distinguished from glanders/farcy

Glanders

Glanders is an infectious disease that occurs primarily in horses, mules, and donkeys. It can be contracted by other animals such as dogs, cats and goats...

 by the presence of the Histoplasma

Histoplasma

Histoplasma is a genus of dimorphic fungi commonly found in bird and bat fecal material. Histoplasma contains a few species, including—H. capsulatum—the causative agent of histoplasmosis; and Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum , causing epizootic lymphangitis in horses...

organisms in the pus, and failure of the mallein test to produce a reaction. Both Glanders and epizootic lymphangitis may be present in the same animal. Serology

Serology

Serology is the scientific study of blood serum and other bodily fluids. In practice, the term usually refers to the diagnostic identification of antibodies in the serum...

 can be used to assist diagnosis.

Control

Control of the disease is usually through elimination of the infection. This is achieved by culling

Culling

Culling is the process of removing animals from a group based on specific criteria. This is done either to reinforce certain desirable characteristics or to remove certain undesirable characteristics from the group...

 infected horses and application of strict hygiene practices to prevent spread of the organism.

Vaccination has been utilised on a limited scale in areas where enzootic lymphangitis is endemic

Endemic (epidemiology)

In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not...

, e.g. Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

, but is not authorised for widespread use.