Equine venereal diseases are

sexually transmitted infection Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...

s in

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

s. They include

contagious equine metritis Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is a type of metritis (uterine inflammation) in horses that is caused by a sexually transmitted infection. It is thus an equine venereal disease of the equine reproductive system, genital tract of horses, brought on ...

(CEM) (caused by ''

Taylorella equigenitalis Introduction and overview ''Taylorella equigenitalis'' is a Gram-negative, non-motile, microaerophilic bacterium of the genus '' Taylorella'', and the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM) in horses. Phylogeny of ''T. equigenital ...

'') and equine coital exanthema (caused by

equine herpesvirus 3 ''Equid alphaherpesvirus 3'', formerly ''Equine herpesvirus 3'' (EHV-3), is a virus of the family ''Herpesviridae'' that affects horses. Pathology It causes a disease known as equine coital exanthema. The disease is spread through direct and se ...

Equine coital exanthema

This disease affects the external genitalia, and is caused by

. This disease remains with the horse for all its life. Equine coital exanthema is believed to only be transmitted during the acute phase of the disease through serous fluid from the blisters during

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...

, and via breeding tools, handlers, etc. Clinical signs include cute small lesions, no bigger than 2 mm in diameter around the

vulva The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external sex organ, female sex organs. The vulva includes the mons pubis (or mons veneris), labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, bulb of vestibu ...

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

s, and on the

sheath Sheath pronounced as , may refer to: * Scabbard, a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade, as well as guns, such as rifles. * The outer covering of a cable * Condom, a kind of contraception * Debye sheath, a layer of a plasma in ...

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

s. The small bumps blister and then rupture, leaving raw, ulcerated, painful sores. While the majority of the symptoms are external, the presence of the virus can cause small and large plaque variants in tissues.Zoologix. (n.d.). Equine herpesvisur type III (EHV-3). Retrieved December 10, 2009, from Zoologix: http://www.zoologix.com/horse/Datasheets/EquineHerpesvirusTypeIII.htm

Contagious equine metritis

The acute symptoms of contagious equine metritis include acyine inflammation of the uterus, an obvious thick, milky, mucous vulvar discharge 10 to 14 days after a live covering by a stallion. Chronic symptoms include milder uterine inflammation that will cause less obvious vulvar discharge, and then the infection may be more difficult to eliminate. Carrier mares can occur once the bacteria become stable within the reproductive tract. These mares can be asymptomatic for months and still remain infectious.Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (2005, June). Contagious Equine Metritis. Retrieved from United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_version/fs_ahcem.pdf The first case of CEM was diagnosed in England in 1977. It has infected horses in 26 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

References

{{reflist Horse diseases Theriogenology