21/01/2025
🩺💉STRANGLES UPDATE💉🩺
There have been some reports of a Strangles outbreak in North Canterbury. Currently, only one horse that travelled from the North Island has been diagnosed with strangles. The horse has been isolated and no in-contact horses have shown symptoms of infection. The risk of a large strangles outbreak is low.
Strangles is a respiratory disease caused by the bacteria Steptococcus equi equi. It causes purulent nasal discharge and abscess formation in lymph nodes of the head and neck. The mortality rate is low but horses can be very sick and recovery from the disease can be slow. Clinical signs to look for include:
⁃ high temperature (>38.3°C)
⁃ Nasal discharge
⁃ Swollen lymph nodes
Please note that these signs can also be caused by diseases other than strangles.
There is a vaccine available for strangles. The initial course is 3 vaccines, each given 2 weeks apart. Booster doses need to be given every 6 months to provide adequate protection. The vaccine is not 100% effective against strangles so your horse can still get infected despite vaccination.