Multiple equine strangles cases have recently been identified in Alberta. 

In Mountain View County, 20 horses at a boarding facility are suspected to be positive. Two horses, a 9-year-old Quarter Horse gelding and a 7-year-old Quarter Horse stallion, required emergency tracheostomy. 

In Ponoka County, five horses at a private facility are suspected to be positive. A 3-year-old Quarter Horse gelding required emergency tracheostomy due to respiratory distress. 

In Rocky View County, one horse at a private facility has tested positive. The horse required emergency tracheostomy due to respiratory distress caused by airway compression.

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.