Very Strange Case of Strangles

[measles]

Fortunately I've never had to deal with a case of strangles but I know of a horse locally who has just been confirmed as having the disease. This horse had only the slightest runny nose but the odd thing is he hadn't been off the private yard (or had the other horse kept at the family home) for 10 weeks. Owners hadn't been in contact with any other horses, either.

Vet suggests horse is a carrier who has re-infected himself. Is that possible? How come he has such tiny and easily missed symptoms that could have been so easily missed as no cough, mucous, swelling etc etc?

I thought I knew what to look out for but now I'm left wondering.

 

[Bossdog]

We had an outbreak at our yard of 5 horses. One had slight swellings under his jaw and they must have burst internally because he had pus dripping from his nose. One had no swellings but looked very poorly and also dripped mucus from his nose. One didn't have any symptoms at all. One (aged 34) had lots of pus and swellings but it somehow migrated to his lungs, he was extremly poorly and was put to sleep a few days later. So it can affect them all in different ways, it's true that some are carriers but I don't know if they can activate the virus, I suppose stress or illness could possibly bring it back to the fore but it's probably more likely that it has been brought onto the yard by someone.

Jules x

 

[JanT]

Our mare fractured her pedal bone some years ago and was on box rest for a couple of months. She was stabled away from other horses and her only contact with the outside world was when the farrier came to trim her feet. She developed strangles. We later found out the farrier had unknowingly been to a yard which had the virus. The virus must have contaminated his clothing, it really was the only possible conclusion.

Hello forum, by the way!