AN OUTBREAK OF EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
                                                    IN
             A MOUNTED MILITARY POLICE TROOP IN BIHAR

                                A PRELIMINARY REPORT

                                                  BY

                        LAKSHMI SAHAI, M.Sc, M.R.C.V.S.

                 (Veterinary) Disease Investigation Officer, Bihar

                    (Received for publication on 14th April, 1938)

                                    INTRODUCTION

THERE occurs in many parts of India and certain neighbouring countries
a disease of horses known as Kumri which is characterized by incoordination
of movement and loss of control over the hind limbs. The disease has been
under investigation for a very long time but its etiology still remains obs-
cure.

There also occurs on the continent of Europe and in America a group of
diseases of virus origin characterized by symptoms of paraplegia and cerebral
involvement. Of these, the best known is Borna disease which has existed
in Germany for over a hundred years. An analogous disease occurs in France
which has been described by Moussu and Marchand [1924].

The disease in America referred to as equine encephalomyelitis was first
described by Meyer and his associates [1930] in California and they showed
that it was due to a virus, of which there are two immunologically distinct
strains, the original western strain of Meyer which is supposed to be identical
with the strain causing equine encephalomyelitis in Argentine, and an eastern
strain first described by Ten Broeck and Merrill [1933], the latter being the
more virulent. In addition there is a Russian strain responsible for the disease
in horses in Russia.

Several other types of equine encephalomyelitis have also been described
mostly from the continent of Europe, but it is extremely doubtful if there is
any relationship between them and whether they are all of virus origin.

In this country, cases of disease in horses, characterized by symptoms of
paraplegia, have in the past been either diagnosed as Kumri or attributed to
a variety of unproved etiological factors, while no evidence was available
until quite recently that the specific form of equine encephalomyelitis such
as occurs in America and elsewhere also occurred in this country.

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