Chincoteague wild ponies face own lethal disease

More than three years ago, members of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company noticed unusual lesions on the legs of one of the shaggy, stocky wild ponies that have made this barrier island a year-round tourist destination.

The bright coral wound was treated and it seemed to be healing, but in a little over a week the mare became too weak to stand and had to be euthanized. Seven more ponies followed in the coming years - the majority during the very wet 2018 - all succumbing to a deadly disease called swamp cancer.

Spread by a fungus-like microorganism that lives in stagnant water such as swamps, ponds and lakes, swamp cancer has been found worldwide. It frequently infects horses and dogs and thrives in tropical and subtropical regions.

Pythium insidiosum was first documented in the United States in Texas and Florida about 60 years ago (under a different name). Scientists are still learning about how it spreads and infects. But one thing scientists do know is that with a warming climate, it is moving north - including to the island of Assateague, where the wild ponies live.

"Preliminary results show it's fairly ubiquitous across the refuge," said Nancy Finley, refuge manager.

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