Strangles

• Email
• Print
• Tweet

Strangles is a highly contagious disease of the upper respiratory system in the horse. It is caused by a bacterium, Streptococcus equi. Symptoms of strangles include inflammation of the throat, nasal discharge, and abscesses in the lymph nodes that are located in the head region.

When a strangles outbreak occurs, disinfection and cleanliness are important, writes Stephanie Church in the April edition of The Horse. The disease can be transmitted by direct contact with sick horses and contaminated hands, clothing, and equipment.

"It's important to isolate an affected horse to reduce the burden of contagion for other horses in the group," said Dr. John Timoney of the University of Kentucky.

Your veterinarian will establish an appropriate quarantine. If cases are handled carefully and disinfection procedures followed, a sick horse will slowly recover.

In rare cases of "bastard strangles," horses develop abscesses in unusual places, such as in the abdomen or the thorax. Management of these animals is more difficult. Veterinarians aren't sure why "bastard strangles" occurs. Some have associated the condition with antibiotic injections, but a connection has not been scientifically confirmed.

"The thought is that when a (systemic antibiotic) shot is given, the antibiotic doesn't penetrate to the center of the abscess," Timoney said. "Therefore, the organism is allowed to survive and escape into a blood vessel (and travel to another area of the body)."

However, according to Timoney, " 'bastard strangles' can occur in the absence of antibiotic usage."

Members of the United Kingdom Streptococcal Interest Group cracked the genetic code of S. equi in 2000. The research, Timoney said, could help researchers develop a more effective strangles vaccine. The injectable vaccines that are currently available reduce the severity of the disease and result in fewer cases, but there are still outbreaks of strangles in vaccinated herds. Adverse reactions to strangles vaccines of all types, including the Pinnacle IN intranasal product that became available in 1999 in this country, also have been reported.

• Email
• Print
• Tweet