The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture has reported that two horses have tested positive for strangles.
One case involves a weanling Quarter Horse colt in Waupaca County who tested positive on July 31 after showing symptoms of a cough and nasal discharge. The colt was acquired from a local dealer that rescues horses from the kill pen.
The second case is a 15-year-old Quarter Horse mare in Waukesha County who tested positive on Aug. 4. This mare exhibited symptoms of nasal discharge, fever, and multiple abscesses in various regions of her body. Like the colt, this horse also came from a local dealer that rescues horses from the kill pen. Two other horses have been exposed to the infection.
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.