Positive strangles blood test

[Horsegirl25]

Looking for some advice.
Horse in the other barn has had a positive strangles blood test (antibodies), gluteral wash booked for Monday. As far as I am aware the horse isn't isolating although I may be wrong.
What is the procedure for horses leaving the yard etc, should the yard lockdown until gluteral wash negative
Any advice?

 

[throwawayaccount]

My old horse had this, he had to stay in his stable and wasn't allowed turnout or to be taken off the yard, until it was sorted and wash results came back OK. he was on a competition yard. he was allowed to be ridden aslong as not in close proximity of anything else

 

[Horsegirl25]

My old horse had this, he had to stay in his stable and wasn't allowed turnout or to be taken off the yard, until it was sorted and wash results came back OK. he was on a competition yard. he was allowed to be ridden aslong as not in close proximity of anything else

So stressful isn't it. What was the procedure for everyone else? Could they leave the yard as normal as long as had no contact with your horse?

 

[throwawayaccount]

So stressful isn't it. What was the procedure for everyone else? Could they leave the yard as normal as long as had no contact with your horse?

he was on full livery so it didn't affect me really, but not being turned out was the worst part. the reason he tested positive was because he'd been in proximity with another horse (At some point) who was infected. so although my horse had the heightened antibodies, and potentially nothing could come from it, the best thing to do was get the wash done. those rules were agreed by the vet/yard owner because of all the valuable horses on the yard

also, he wasn't in the main barn with all the horses that went out/about (they never mixed even in normal circumstances)
*edit, so yes- think everyone else was fine, but our horses never mixed and were in separate barns/under separate care by different grooms

 

[Horsegirl25]

he was on full livery so it didn't affect me really, but not being turned out was the worst part. the reason he tested positive was because he'd been in proximity with another horse (At some point) who was infected. so although my horse had the heightened antibodies, and potentially nothing could come from it, the best thing to do was get the wash done. those rules were agreed by the vet/yard owner because of all the valuable horses on the yard

also, he wasn't in the main barn with all the horses that went out/about (they never mixed even in normal circumstances)
*edit, so yes- think everyone else was fine, but our horses never mixed and were in separate barns/under separate care by different grooms

Thank you that's re-assuring to know especially that everything turned out alright with your horse too. I have read a lot of high blood tests but negative washes.

 

[SEL]

I had high antibodies on blood test negative on wash too - but we had strangles on the yard brought in by a new horse.

Once her wash was clear I was allowed to leave the yard, but it never really followed protocols frustratingly

 

[Hormonal Filly]

My mare had a high antibodies blood test (just bought her so was under quarantine) her gluteral wash was negative. The vet said it’s very common. It was a terrifying wait for those results!

Is the horse showing any symptoms, or was it a purchase test?

 

[Horsegirl25]

My mare had a high antibodies blood test (just bought her so was under quarantine) her gluteral wash was negative. The vet said it’s very common. It was a terrifying wait for those results!

Is the horse showing any symptoms, or was it a purchase test?

Not showing symptoms, sorry should have mentioned its a test for moving yards not due to symptoms or anything.
I am hoping everything ok, have things planned this wekened with my 2, now on the fence about what to do

 

[Caol Ila]

That happened to me. I was moving yards, and my horse had a positive blood test. I was like, "But she hasn't been anywhere!" And I was totally bricking it. She probably had exposure from a fieldmate who had been to a show or endurance ride or whatever. I did the gutteral pouch wash; she was fine and moved yards as scheduled. It was harrowing, though, don't get me wrong.

It is very common. The blood test (ELISA) detects antibodies, which can linger for six months or more after an exposure. It doesn't tell you whether or not the horse has an active infection now. It just tells you that it had a mild exposure at some point in the last year. Strangles is more endemic than you think. In fact, the bloods are a little bit useless for detecting active infections because it takes a horse two weeks to form antibodies, but they can be contagious and shedding the bacteria within days if they are actually sick. This happened at a yard in my area a few years ago. They required negative bloods, like most yards, and a horse came into the yard with the required negative ELISA test but turned out to have strangles anyway.

However, ELISA tests are useful for finding horses who might be asymptomatic carriers. That's a horse who has the bacteria in their gutteral pouches and is infectious to other horses, but not showing any symptoms themselves. The gutteral pouch washes and the PCR test they run from the sample they collect will then identufy those horses.

Unfortunately, the gutteral pouch wash is the gold standard, the only way to definitely pick up horses habouring the streptococcus equi bacteria. It's also quite invasive and costs about £500. It's a difficult balancing act for yards and horse owners. Can you really expect people to pay £500 every time they want to move yards? Some places do, but most accept bloods because it's more reasonable, and they feel like they are doing something.

In my case, the yard owner didn't go on lockdown or isolate my horse while we waited for the gutteral pouch wash. She was a pretty practical and sanguine YO and knew all the information I've just written. If the horse had antibodies, that meant she would have had strangles for two weeks or more anyway (in the event she actually had an infection, which was unliklely because nothing else on the yard had been sick), so everything in her field would have been already exposed. YO also pointed out, quite rightly, that there's always risk to every yard if they let people go away to shows without isolating horses when they return. Obviously no yard does that.

 

[hairycob]

We were new to a yard when my horses got strangles, thankfully they were separate from the others. All the other horses on the yard had a blood test and all but 2 were positive. Re-tested a bit later & all their antibody levels had fallen which apparently showed it was an old exposure & not from mine or it would have been rising or level. A few months before one horse had had slight cough after an away show & been given antibiotics, symptoms resolved very quickly. The 2 that were negative were the only 2 that arrived between that event and mine. The conclusion was that probably the slight cough was strangles & none of the others that were exposed had any symptoms. Interestingly one of mine had a very slight cough and a weeny bit of snot and was only tested as a recent purchase, by the time we had the test results he appeared fine. The other eventually tested positive but was completely asymptomatic.