Rain RotTaylor Marie CarlsonGlobe University Rain Rot is a serious skin infection in horses, but it is actually a normal inhabitant of horse skin. So why does this disease appear to be so serious? Although it lives naturally in horses' skin, rain rot can become very serious if it is damaged or persistently wet. This can cause an infection. Rain rot is also called rain scald or dermatophilosis. It is caused by Dermatophilus congolensis. Dermatophilus congolensis is a Gram-positive bacterium and is the causative agent of rain rot. It lives inside the skin until the skin is disturbed in some way. “The bacteria live in the outer layer of the skin and cause pinpoint to large, crusty scabs.” (Mendell, Jan. 29, 2014.) It can happen in cases of high humidity, humidity for a long period of time, high temperature, or even attacks by biting insects. An increase in the number of biting insects can occur in high humidity or hot temperatures, so it is best to have a place for horses to cool off. Biting insects are how this disease can spread from horse to horse. While there is natural immunity, some horses are more sensitive and can contract it year after year. It must be an infected carrier, or even a fomite such as a saddle or blanket that contains the organism in spore form. The spores must then come into contact with the susceptible animal. Once these spores attach, you can start to see the disease take over the horse's body. Diagnosing horses with rain rot is quite simple. It is usually possible to diagnose the horse simply by visually observing it and seeing only the skin lesions. You can confirm rain rot by scraping the skin and looking under a microscope for... the center of the paper... the environments. These will be the best ways to prevent rain rot from your horses. This infection can also spread to other horses, so it is important to isolate him from the rest of the herd if your horse is suffering from rain rot. This will help reduce the risk of spreading the infection to other horses. Using separate sets of grooming tools will greatly help spread the infection. Disinfecting items between uses is also important to prevent the spread.References1. Mendell, C. (2014, January 29). Understanding rain rot. http://www.thehorse.com/articles/21190/understanding-rain-rot2. Small talk. (2012, Oct. 22.) Rain Rot: Solving the Sunburn Problem. http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/10/22/rain-rot-solving-scald-problem/#axzz32mH3O1Fl3. EQUUS magazines. (2003, June 9.) All about Rain Rot. http://www.equisearch.com/article/skin060903-8235