What’s new in bacteriology of the mare’s genital tract

Uterine bacterial infections are the major cause of reproductive failure in mares.The spectrum of bacteria involved has been carefully established over decades and is approved in recent studies.Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (SEZ) is still the most important equine genitopathogenic bacterium.Considerable progress has been made to clarify the molecular basis of host-pathogen interaction as exemplified by SEZ.Genomic analyses of genes encoding putative virulence factors allow for the epidemiologic relevant typing of genitopathogenic bacteria.Moreover, these techniques are the basis of culture-independent sensitive and specific DNA-amplification assays as a measure to improve etiologic diagnosis.Recent advances in analyses of the innate immune system of the horse are expected to improve our understanding of the local activities of the genital immune system.