Two horses in Ontario recently tested positive for strangles. The horses live in the Regional Municipality of York and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
In the Regional Municipality of York, a Standardbred mare tested positive after developing mucopurulent nasal discharge and fever on February 3. The mare arrived at the farm from a horse dealer two weeks prior to developing clinical signs. She is now recovering, and three horses are exposed.
In the City of Kawartha Lakes, a 29-year-old mare tested positive after developing a submandibular abscess on February 1. None of the horses on the farm have left the property recently, and no new horses have been introduced. The mare is recovering, and three horses are exposed.
EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.
About Strangles
Strangles in horses is an infection caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi and spread through direct contact with other equids or contaminated surfaces. Horses that aren’t showing clinical signs can harbor and spread the bacteria, and recovered horses remain contagious for at least six weeks, with the potential to cause outbreaks long-term.
Infected horses can exhibit a variety of clinical signs:
- Fever
- Swollen and/or abscessed lymph nodes
- Nasal discharge
- Coughing or wheezing
- Muscle swelling
- Difficulty swallowing
Veterinarians diagnose horses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing with either a nasal swab, wash, or an abscess sample, and they treat most cases based on clinical signs, implementing antibiotics for severe cases. Overuse of antibiotics can prevent an infected horse from developing immunity. Most horses make a full recovery in three to four weeks.
A vaccine is available but not always effective. Biosecurity measures of quarantining new horses at a facility and maintaining high standards of hygiene and disinfecting surfaces can help lower the risk of outbreak or contain one when it occurs.
