Michigan Stallion Positive for Strangles

The pony lives in Genesee County.
A pony stallion in Genesee County, Michigan, is positive for strangles, and 11 horses are exposed.
A pony stallion in Genesee County, Michigan, is positive for strangles, and 11 horses are exposed. | Wikimedia Commons

On March 6, a 4-year-old pony stallion in Genesee County, Michigan, was confirmed positive for strangles. The pony developed clinical signs on February 24, including nasal discharge and a cough. He is now recovering under voluntary quarantine, and 11 horses are 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
SHARE THIS STORY
CATEGORIES
TAGS
RELATED ARTICLES
Skin_Hives
Skin Problems Big and Small
EDCC-rsz-2
Michigan Quarter Horse Contracts WNV
EDCC-rsz-15
2 Ontario Horses Positive for Equine Influenza
EDCC-rsz-3
Florida Paso Fino Positive for WNV
EDCC HEALTH ALERTS
Don’t miss an important EDCC Health Alert! Get alerts delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Practical Horseman’s newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

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

Sign up for EDCC Health Watch text alerts to get notified when an equine disease outbreak is reported in your state or region.