Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Strangles in equines: An overview.
- Journal:
- Microbial pathogenesis
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Chhabra, Dharvi et al.
- Affiliation:
- ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines · India
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Strangles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that affects horses and other equines, caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. This disease can lead to fever, thick nasal discharge, and swollen lymph nodes in the head and neck area. It spreads easily through direct contact with infected fluids or indirectly through contaminated objects, and carrier animals can make it hard to control outbreaks. Diagnosing strangles typically involves testing samples from nasal discharge or abscesses, and treatment often includes antibiotics like penicillin, although the effectiveness can depend on how advanced the disease is. Preventing strangles relies on vaccination and maintaining good hygiene practices.
Abstract
Strangles, caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, is a highly infectious respiratory disease affecting horses and other equines. The disease is economically important and compromises the productivity of equine farm significantly. The disease is characterized by pyrexia, mucopurulent nasal discharge, and abscess formation in the lymph nodes of the head and neck of horses. The disease transmission occurs either directly by coming in contact with infectious exudates or indirectly via fomite transmission. Besides this, carrier animals are the primary and most problematic source of disease infection. The organism not only initiates outbreaks but also makes the control and prevention of the disease difficult. The diagnosis of strangles is best done by isolating and characterizing the bacteria from nasal discharge, pus from abscesses, and lymphoid tissues or by using PCR. ELISA can also be used to detect serum protein M (SeM) antibodies for diagnosis. The most popular treatment for strangles is with penicillin; however, the treatment is affected by the stage, feature and severity of the disease. Prevention and control of strangles can be achieved through vaccination and good hygiene practices. Basically, this review describes the global prevalence of S. equi, as well as general aspects of the disease, like pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, control and management of the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36924902/