Pasture
Several maple trees produce the toxins responsible for the disease: preventive measures at the pasture level are however possible.
Through epidemiological studies, protective factors and risk factors for atypical myopathy have been identified [1,2,3].
The risk factors include:
- A pasture with a history of atypical myopathy cases.
- A pasture with the presence of trees.
- A short or overgrazed pasture.
- A wet pasture and/or one surrounded or containing a watercourse/river.
- A pasture with piled dead leaves and/or deadwood.
- A sloping pasture.
It is, therefore, advisable to:
- Prevent contact with sycamore trees by (1) avoiding, for example, piles of leaves or deadwood that may contain samaras or seedlings, (2) manually collecting samaras in pastures, (3) creating inaccessible areas around contaminated zones, and (4) avoiding harrowing or spreading manure.
- Favor pastures with the lowest risk during spring and autumn by avoiding (1) pastures near sycamore trees, (2) permanent grazing, and instead, opting for rotations between pastures, (3) wet meadows.
Identification of the sycamore maple is essential for implementing these measures. Moreover, recognizing samaras and seedlings is crucial, as winds can disperse samaras several hundred meters from the parent tree. A recognition aid tool has been developed.
Bibliography sources
1. Gonzalez-Medina, S.; Ireland, J.L.; Piercy, R.J.; Newton, J.R.; Votion, D. Equine atypical myopathy in the UK: Epidemiological characteristics of cases reported from 2011 to 2015 and factors associated with survival. Equine Vet. J. 2017, 49, 746–752 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28445006/
2. Van Galen, G.; Saegerman, C.; Marcillaud Pitel, C.; Patarin, F.; Amory, H.; Baily, J.D.; Cassart, D.; Gerber, V.; Hahn, C.; Harris, P.; et al. European outbreaks of atypical myopathy in grazing horses (2006–2009): Determination of indicators for risk and prognostic factors. Equine Vet. J.; Vol. 2012, 44, 621–625. Animals 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 23 of 28 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22413891/
3. Votion, D.M.; Linden, A.; Delguste, C.; Amory, H.; Thiry, E.; Engels, P.; Van Galen, G.; Navet, R.; Sluse, F.; Serteyn, D.; et al. Atypical myopathy in grazing horses: A first exploratory data analysis. Vet. J. 2009, 180, 77–87 https://hdl.handle.net/2268/10009
4. Ghislain, B., Farinelle, A., Renaud, B., François, A.-C., Wouters, C., & Votion, D. (18 August 2022). Pasture Management to Reduce the Risk of Acer pseudoplatanus Poisoning While Preserving Ecological Sustainability. Land, 11 (8), 1345. doi:10.3390/land11081345.
https://hdl.handle.net/2268/294010
