On September 4th, a Paint gelding aged 11 in Delaware County, New York, was confirmed positive for strangles. The gelding started showing clinical signs on August 31st, including a mild cough and weeping nodules. He is currently in voluntary quarantine, and one additional horse has been exposed.
EDCC Health Watch is a marketing program by Equine Network that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and distribute verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization supported by industry donations to provide open access to infectious disease information.
About Strangles
Strangles in horses is an infection caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi and is spread through direct contact with other equids or contaminated surfaces. Horses that are asymptomatic can carry and transmit the bacteria, and recovered horses can remain contagious for up to six weeks, potentially causing long-term outbreaks.
Clinical signs of infected horses can include:
- Fever
- Swollen and/or abscessed lymph nodes
- Nasal discharge
- Coughing or wheezing
- Muscle swelling
- Difficulty swallowing
Veterinarians typically diagnose horses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing with nasal swabs, washes, or abscess samples, and treatment is usually based on clinical signs, with antibiotics being used in severe cases. Overuse of antibiotics can hinder the development of immunity in infected horses. Most horses recover fully within three to four weeks.
Although a vaccine is available, it may not always be effective. Implementing biosecurity measures such as quarantining new horses and maintaining high standards of hygiene and surface disinfection can help reduce the risk of outbreaks or contain them when they occur.