Strangles - Yard Opp Poss Case

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DougalJ

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Hi - I had a phone call from my YO last night that one of the horses in the yard opposite has suspected strangles. The yard is across the lane from us has around 6 horses, turned out most of the time with one suspected case. Our three horses are brought in at night and the stables are about 50/80 yards away from this yard. In the day our horses are in a field further away and they have no contact at all with the horses concerned and again we have no contact with them either. Is it airborne or is strangles direct contact with nose to nose, tack and buckets etc and what extra measures should we be making for this. All our horses appear to be fine. I am going to turn them out in a minute in our summer paddock which is further away from the horses across the lane. Is it wise to get to speak to our vet tomorrow to vaccinate or wait until this horse has been confirmed? Any advice would be great, thanks
 
DougalJ said:
Hi - I had a phone call from my YO last night that one of the horses in the yard opposite has suspected strangles. The yard is across the lane from us has around 6 horses, turned out most of the time with one suspected case. Our three horses are brought in at night and the stables are about 50/80 yards away from this yard. In the day our horses are in a field further away and they have no contact at all with the horses concerned and again we have no contact with them either. Is it airborne or is strangles direct contact with nose to nose, tack and buckets etc and what extra measures should we be making for this. All our horses appear to be fine. I am going to turn them out in a minute in our summer paddock which is further away from the horses across the lane. Is it wise to get to speak to our vet tomorrow to vaccinate or wait until this horse has been confirmed? Any advice would be great, thanks
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It only needs a fox or cat to walk over the property to bring the bug over to you, birds too can carry it. They only have to have been snorted on or stepped in some snot or walked over ground where a horse has blown it's nose.

A few years ago a new horse on the same property as mine came down with strangles, my horses despite being several hundred yards down the property with no access to the affected horse were put into quarentine - for almost three months till the horse was cleared.
 
Strangles is not airborne and there is no vaccination or treatment from strangles. the only precaution i would take is be a hygienic as possible wash hands between horses walk through a foot dip onto and off the yard. it is very unlikely to be spread by a wild animal unless the yard with the strangles isn't doing there bit to contain it. my mare had strangles 2 years ago and was on a yard of 20+ horses and was the only horse to get it due to the quick actions of the YO and the cooperation of the liveries.
 
Lots of hysteria and misinformation regarding strangles in any case. Our yard has only just recovered from it, all the horses had a mild, cold type illness and are fine. In some professional yards they just keep going and allow the horses to get it.
Neither of my horses got it and nor did any of the horses who were not in direct living contact. The chances of it spreading to an adjacent yard is almost nil unless the horses have been in contact. I could not believe the attitude of people to be honest, but then people do seem to love the drama!
 
Nigsha said:
Lots of hysteria and misinformation regarding strangles in any case. Our yard has only just recovered from it, all the horses had a mild, cold type illness and are fine. In some professional yards they just keep going and allow the horses to get it.
Neither of my horses got it and nor did any of the horses who were not in direct living contact. The chances of it spreading to an adjacent yard is almost nil unless the horses have been in contact. I could not believe the attitude of people to be honest, but then people do seem to love the drama!
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You were lucky not to have full blown strangles - believe me it is not pleasant! From experience while not airborne, it is easily spread. It kills foals by preventing them from being be able suckle. It's also an old wives tale that horses that have had strangles can't get it again.

Have a read of this.
http://www.equine-strangles.co.uk/documents/BHSSTEPSStrategytoPreventandEradicateStrangles_001.pdf

LadyRascasse - There is a vaccine available in UK - we've had it here in NZ for a long time - strangles here is notifiable disease and taken very seriously as it can affect the livlihood of all industries involved with racing. Australia proved that with very strict regulations it was able to stamp out Equine Flu - if all people acted in a responsible manner when there are easily spreadable infections around then maybe we could al lprevent our horses from getting Strangles.
 
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With respect Evelyn we did have 'full blown' strangles! This is how the majority of strangles presents, snotty nose, cough, off food for a few days. I presume you are talking of ******* Strangles which is thankfully very rare. As Im sure you can appreciate having just lived through a substantial bout of it we are all very well read and informed having had expert advice and looked up everything there is to know. As in humans, young and old horses are often the worst affected and yes horses can get it more than once.
Incidentally the vaccine here in UK has been withdrawn and is not used. Hygiene measures and common sense stop the spread.
 
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I think though often a mild cold is an understatement which is what you posted!

My horse is suffereing suspected strangles at the moment and I can assure you that although he is not at deaths door he is very ill.

I agree you do get hysteria when you mention the word strangles but even if your horses are not too serverly affected most of us would not wish our horses to be unridable and confined to their boxes, and even mildly ill for a minimum of several weeks along with the vets bill, disintfectant procedures and movement restrictions etc if we can at all help it!
 
Nigsha said:
With respect Evelyn we did have 'full blown' strangles! This is how the majority of strangles presents, snotty nose, cough, off food for a few days. I presume you are talking of ******* Strangles which is thankfully very rare. As Im sure you can appreciate having just lived through a substantial bout of it we are all very well read and informed having had expert advice and looked up everything there is to know. As in humans, young and old horses are often the worst affected and yes horses can get it more than once.
Incidentally the vaccine here in UK has been withdrawn and is not used. Hygiene measures and common sense stop the spread.
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From your description it sounds like you had just a mild case. Full blown Strangles is supperating swollen glands under the jaw, a thick soft cough, a stinking thick discharge from the nostrils, they can't eat or drink because of the swelling. I've seen and nursed a good few cases over the past 40 yrs. B Strangles may be rare but every horse that gets strangles runs the risk of developing B strangles, the abscess that breaks and drains internally is all it takes. When you see foals dieing, because a selfish person sent their under the weather mare to stud you will never make light of strangles again.
This is Real Strangles
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Isolation, of all animals on the property is the considerate thing to do. For all horses & owners.

The Strangles vaccine is now back on the market - Equilis StrepE - is the new name for it.
 
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Evelyn said:
LadyRascasse - There is a vaccine available in UK - we've had it here in NZ for a long time - strangles here is notifiable disease and taken very seriously as it can affect the livlihood of all industries involved with racing. Australia proved that with very strict regulations it was able to stamp out Equine Flu - if all people acted in a responsible manner when there are easily spreadable infections around then maybe we could al lprevent our horses from getting Strangles.
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there isn't a vaccination in the UK as it was taken off the market in 2008! nothing to replace it as yet

Further to the recall on all batches of its strangles vaccine, Equilis StrepE, Intervet is unable to advise when the product will become available again, although it may not be this year (2008) work is ongoing to return the product to market as soon as possible. Remaining vigilant for symptoms of strangles therefore continues to be extremely important.

Quality monitoring indicated that the vaccine’s antigen level had decreased slightly over time and dropped below the approved release requirements.

As there is no alternative vaccine available for the time being, our advice to horse owners is to follow adequate stable management and hygiene procedures to minimise the risk of disease.

Article first published March 2007. Latest update April 2008.
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LadyRascasse said:
there isn't a vaccination in the UK as it was taken off the market in 2008! nothing to replace it as yet
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It is back - since October of this year.

EQUINE strangles vaccine returns to European market
//08 Jun 2010
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health announces that it is re-introducing EQUILIS® StrepE, the only strangles vaccine for horses in Europe. The vaccine was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in 2007 for stability reasons.

The first re-introduction of the vaccine took place in the Netherlands in May 2010, whereas additional re-introductions are scheduled for Italy (September 2010), United Kingdom (October 2010).
 
So, who can advise, that if you did hear of a nearby case of strangles - is it a good idea to vaccinate or would most vets say you are probably too late at that stage?
 
Interesting comments thank you - my YO spoke to our vet at length this morning and said there is still no strangles vaccine available? Her advice was good hygiene and to keep the horses away. Im flabbergasted that the owner across the road where the suspected case is, is still keeping the horses in the top paddock open to the road with many many horses riding by. She has two other paddocks she could use which are away from the road, but not bothering for some reason. We are still waiting to hear the results from her so in the meantime, we have put ours in our summer paddock further away.
 
In fairness to the owner of the yard across the road maybe all the horses in that paddock have had no contact with the suspected cases and therefore she wants to keep them well away from the high risk horses.

The horses riding by will be fine as long as they have no direct contact with any affected horses especially if the horses by the road are low risk.
 
The front paddock is right next door to the stables where the infected horses is and personally I wouldnt keep them near the road with a possible strangles case. It is just a post and rail fence with no hedging and the horses are always there watching who is going by.
We should hear today whether this horse has it, I so hope it hasnt for the owner across the road and then for our worries too.
 
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