horse health
Strangles struggles
Arm yourself with knowledge that will help you protect your horse from this age-old disease.
BY SARAH E. COLEMAN
Strangles. The name of the disease itself can allude to a terrible demise, but most horses that contract strangles recover with minimal lasting effects. If you’re lucky enough to have never had an outbreak at your barn, unfortunately chances are good you will be faced with one at some point.
Discover the transmission, progression, treatment and possible complications of one of the oldest equine diseases in the world.
AN AGE-OLD DISEASE
“Strangles was one of the first equine diseases to be described in 1251,” says Katie Flynn, BVMS, Senior Staff Veterinarian-Equine Health & Biosecurity for the U.S. Equestrian Federation and former Kentucky State Veterinarian.
Though nearly 775 years have passed, it still affects equines globally and remains one of the most diagnosed equine diseases in the world.
“In the United States, strangles is considered endemic, meaning it’s detected regularly in the horse population,” says Flynn.
If you’ve ever had strep throat, you can commiserate with a horse that has strangles; both infections cause enlarged lymph nodes in the head and neck. Strangles can affect horses of any breed or age, but older horses typically show more mild signs.
TRANSMISSION
The Streptococcus equi bacteria that cause strangles are primarily transmitted through nose-tonose contact with another horse, but the bacteria can also be transferred through feed, water, buckets, stall walls, veterinary instruments, clothes, grooming and barn tools, tack, and trailers.
Nearly any surface can harbor S. equi for a time, which is why strict biosecurity protocols for ill horses are imperative.
“Whatever you touch has the potential to be contaminated, and if not cleaned and disinfected, can transfer the bacteria to a new horse directly or via someone else’s hand to a new horse,” says Flynn.
Before panic ensues, it’s important to understand that S. equi can stay active in water buckets and moist areas for four to six weeks, but the bacteria can only survive for about one to three days in drier areas such as on fencing or in soil, says Flynn.