44th Strangles Case in Florida for 2022
Map of Levy County, Florida
A miniature donkey colt in Levy County, Florida, is positive for strangles, marking the state’s 44th confirmed case this year. | Wikimedia Commons

A weanling miniature donkey colt in Levy County, Florida, has tested positive for strangles. The colt began displaying clinical signs, including submandibular lymphadenopathy, ruptured abscess and mucopurulent nasal discharge, on November 13. Strangles was confirmed on November 20. The colt is quarantined, but nine horses have been exposed.

This is the 44th confirmed case of strangles in Florida in 2022.  

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.

Share
Related Articles
EDCC-rsz-19
Virginia Oldenburg Gelding Tests Positive for EHV-1
EDCC-rsz-5
Virginia Horse Tests Positive for Influenza
826A2782
Reining Royalty: How Kaci O'Rourke and The Firemen Made History at 2024 NRHA Futurity
EDCC-rsz-11
Horse Tests Positive for Influenza and Strangles in Washington
Newsletter
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Horse & Rider’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Additional Offers
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for EDCC Health Watch text alerts to get notified when an equine disease outbreak is reported in your state or region.