That we can use this information to aid both horses and humans is a good thing. Equine Grass Sickness is a disorder that is easy to overlook. Better testing is certainly needed. ~ HfH

From: Eurekalert

Horses with a rare nerve condition have similar signs of disease as people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s, a study has found.

The findings shed new light on the causes of the rare but predominately fatal horse condition and could help to develop new tools for diagnosing the illness.

Scientists say that horses affected by the disease – called equine grass sickness – could also hold clues to human conditions.

Grass sickness attacks nerve cells in horses but the causes of the disease are unknown. It causes gastric upset and muscle tremor and can kill within days. If diagnosed quickly, animals can sometimes be nursed back to health.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies looked at nerve tissue from six horses that had died from equine grass sickness in a bid to investigate the causes of the condition.