We had a lot of questions about Sarcocystis neurona and the complications that veterinarians and owners see in horses with Sarcocystis infections. To get some answers we built a database. The database has nearly 40,000 horse records covering nearly 12 years.
A database relates pieces of data, stored in tables, in multiple ways. The relational database was used to figure out a specific sub-set of horses were reacting to vaccinations and what to do about it. Another question that was answered was that chronic sarcocystosis is related to polyneuritis (PNE) and allowed us to predict when a PNE crisis was likely.
When we query our data we search the published literature for similar information. For example, what states have the most cases of sarcocystosis? The the champion must be Texas! The power in the database is that veterinarians may see a few cases, some even see many cases they suspect have PNE. If they add the knowledge from our database they can make more informed decisions.
We can generate answers to your questions…let us know what you would like to know! Any information that is collected on the Equine Submission and Consultation Form, including the constellation of signs that we ask for, is fair game. For example, you may ask what is the average CRP in New Mexico…or how many horses have behavior issues when diagnosed with sarcocystosis versus PNE, or what is the average age of the horses with PNE. What is the average number of days a horse shows signs before the diagnosis is demyelinating PNE? When did headshaking become apparent and what is the relationship to answers on the Submission Forms?
Email us your question and lets see if it helps your case.