Overview of the lecture

The lecture will consist of an overview of the agents that have been reported to be associated enteric disease in horses and foals with a special emphasis on Salmonellosis and Enteric Clostridiosis. It is important to understand that multiple factors play a role in the occurrence of disease in a given animal or population. The components in the triad of disease include the host factors, the agent factors and the environmental factors that are necessary to see disease. . For example protective immunity may prevent an individual from developing diarrhea even if exposed to a potential pathogen. If the exposure level is very high or the disease agent a particularly virulent form then even an animal with some immunity from previous exposure to the agent may become diseased. Similarly this same animal may develop illness if compromised by stressors such as altered diet, transport, or surgery with exposure to a pathogen when it may have otherwise have resisted the disease prior to the stressor. There are multiple potential sources of infectious agents such as feed, water, other animals, or the environment. Potential sources of enteric disease agents will also be reviewed.