Strangles in Two Michigan Counties
Two horses in Michigan, who reside in Van Buren County and Montcalm County, have tested positive for strangles.
Two horses in Michigan, who reside in Van Buren County and Montcalm County, have tested positive for strangles.

Two horses in Michigan have tested positive for strangles. The first horse is a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in Van Buren County. He developed a nasal discharge and fever, and his diagnosis was confirmed on December 29. The gelding is recovering. It is unknown if other horses were exposed.

The second horse is a 17-year-old Haflinger mare in Montcalm County, who developed a jaw abscess on December 26 before testing positive for strangles. One other horse is exposed.

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.

Brought to you by Boehringer Ingelheim, The Art of the Horse

categories
tags
Trending Articles
Horses in the stable
16 EIA Cases Confirmed in Quarter Horse Racehorses
Horse in a Stable Box
Wisconsin Gelding Positive for EEE
Horse in a stall
Florida Thoroughbred Positive for WNV
Horse run with baby
Disease Du Jour: OPU and ICSI in Horses 
Newsletter
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for EquiManagement’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

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