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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Buck fever on the rise for good reason ... Tuesday car crash kills Cave Junction woman ... OSF's Daedalus Project raises $115,772 for AIDS/HIV groups ... Buck fever on the rise for good reason ... Tuesday car crash kills Cave Junction woman ... OSF's Daedalus Project raises $115,772 for AIDS/HIV groups ... ROSEBURG Veterinarians call for vigilance against horse disease Vaccine could be available by 2016 Comment By Ian Campbell News-Review MailTribune.com By Ian Campbell News-Review Posted Sep. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Ian Campbell News-Review Posted Sep. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News ROSEBURG — In late August, Jean Kellum noticed a small lump on her horse’s side. Within weeks, the family's prized quarterhorse was dead from a disease Kellum had learn the name of only a few days prior: pigeon fever. Typically characterized by abscesses, primarily in the chest area of a horse, pigeon fever gives the horse a puffed-out appearance, similar to a pigeon, granting the disease its name. The abscesses commonly appear externally near the breast muscles, along the underside of the belly or the groin. Besides the large, pus-filled lumps, other symptoms include lethargy, stiffness and lameness from the pain and swelling. The disease is commonly spread through bacteria that lives and multiples in dry soil and manure. Typically, horses contract the disease through an open wound or fly bite, with the bacteria entering through an abrasion or bite, according to Joe Roberts, a veterinarian at Calapooia Veterinary Center in Sutherlin. “It’s a bacteria that’s found most everywhere worldwide,” he said. “It grows best without oxygen and, generally speaking, is transferred by vectors — biting flies or things that can pick up the bacteria and then land on wounds or inject the bacteria into the animal.” Roberts, who formerly worked in Central Oregon, said the disease usually runs in cycles, disappearing for a number of years before ripping through populations. Once the disease is present, Roberts said, horse owners should be extra vigilant about keeping their horses and barns free of flies. Amanda Friesen, office manager at the Sutherlin Veterinary Hospital, agreed, reiterating that the best preventive practice is to be proactive with fly spray to minimize the chances of contracting or spreading the disease. “The best thing people can do is fly control,” she said. “Typically, pigeon fever is considered an infectious disease that you see in a dry and arid climate because it can aerosolize, and flies can pick it up from the dust and spread it. It doesn’t have to stay wet to be transmitted.” Currently, no vaccine exists, but an Oregon equine lameness and sports medicine veterinarian has been working to change that. Patrick Young, a veterinarian at The Athletic Horse in Bend, sought to put an end to the painful and debilitating disease after treating horses from multiple clients for pigeon fever. “It’s extremely frustrating to treat from the standpoint that there’s not a quick fix,” said Young, who moved to Bend from Oklahoma. Having earned a degree in animal science and a minor in biomedical science at Texas A&M University, Young decided to take on pigeon fever himself and develop his own vaccine. Young took bacteria that causes pigeon fever from a patient in Oklahoma, cultured it and outsourced the development to Colorado Serum Company. A vaccine was produced, and it worked. Currently, Young is awaiting approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but he still expects the vaccine to be available in the spring or summer of 2016. Though the vaccine was not approved in time to save Kellum’s horse, she welcomed the news of a possible cure, if it means helping protect horses from the bizarre infection later on. “I did everything right, but suddenly, he was gone,” she said of her horse. “It just breaks my heart.” By Ian Campbell News-Review MailTribune.com By Ian Campbell News-Review Posted Sep. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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