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Veterinary world2016; 9(8); 820-826; doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2016.820-826

Strangles in Arabian horses in Egypt: Clinical, epidemiological, hematological, and biochemical aspects.

Abstract: Respiratory tract infections are considered the major problem of equine worldwide. Strangles is an infectious and highly contagious respiratory bacterial disease of equine caused by Streptococcus equi. This study is aimed to evaluate some clinical and epidemiological investigation associated with strangles and to study the hematological and biochemical changes in 20 Arabian horse naturally infected with S. equi during the disease and after 10 days from treatment by procaine penicillin with benzathine penicillin. Methods: A total of 490 Arabian horses have been examined, 120 (24.5%) have been clinically diagnosed as strangles. Under complete aseptic conditions, nasal swabs and pus samples from those were collected for bacterial culture. 20 horses from the positive infected with S. equi have been treated by 6 mg/kg b.wt procaine penicillin with 4.5 mg/kg b.wt benzathine penicillin deep intramuscular injection/twice dose/4 days interval. Results: 102 horses (20.8%) were found positive for S. equi. Horses with age group under 1 year were the most prone to strangles (32.25%) followed by horses of the age group from 1 to 2 years (20%) and finally of the age group over 2-4 years (11.89%). Hematological parameters revealed anemia in the infected horses, while leucogram revealed a significant increase in the total leucocytic, granulocytic and monocytic counts without a significant change in the lymphocytic count. Biochemical parameters revealed a significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase, total proteins, globulins, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and potassium. In other side, hypoalbuminemia and hyponatremia have been reported, whereas alanine aminotransferase activity and creatinine level showed non-significant changes. Respiratory acidosis has been exhibited in the infected horses. Treatment of horses by procaine penicillin with benzathine penicillin revealed improvement of these parameters toward the healthy horses. Conclusions: S. equi easily spreads from infected to susceptible horses through contaminated water and other fomites. Therefore, good biosecurity is very important if the welfare and economic costs of an outbreak are to be reduced. The presence of respiratory acidosis with increased of cTnI could indicate pneumonia secondary to strangles with risk of heart involvement.
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Publication Date: 2016-08-06 PubMed ID: 27651668PubMed Central: PMC5021829DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2016.820-826Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research is all about investigating Strangles, a respiratory disease in horses caused by Streptococcus equi, where the researchers conducted an epidemiological study associated with the disease and analyzed the hematological and biochemical changes in infected Arabian horses in Egypt. They treated the infected horses with procaine penicillin and benzathine penicillin and monitored the changes in their health conditions.

Scope and Methodology

  • The study involved a total of 490 Arabian horses, out of which 120 were clinically diagnosed with strangles. Strangles is a contagious disease of the respiratory system in horses.
  • The researchers collected nasal swabs and pus samples from the infected horses under aseptic conditions for bacterial culture.
  • The team used intramuscular injections of procaine penicillin and benzathine penicillin for treating 20 horses that were found to be infected with Streptococcus equi, the bacteria that causes strangles.

Research Findings

  • The study discovered that about 20.8% of the examined horses, that is 102 in total, were found to be positive for Streptococcus equi, suggesting high prevalence of strangles among the studied population.
  • The age group under 1 year was observed to be the most prone to the disease, followed by horses aged 1 to 2 years, and then 2-4 years. This indicates that younger horses are more susceptible to getting infected with S. equi.
  • Hematologically, infected horses showed anemia and a significant increase in total leukocytic, granulocytic, and monocytic counts, but no change in lymphocytic count was observed.
  • On a biochemical level, there was an observed increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase, total proteins, globulins, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and potassium in the infected horses. Concurrently, conditions such as hypoalbuminemia and hyponatremia were also reported. Alanine aminotransferase activity and creatinine level, however, showed no significant changes.
  • The infected horses also exhibited Respiratory acidosis. But after treatment with procaine penicillin and benzathine penicillin, these symptoms drastically improved, indicating the effective role of these drugs in treating Strangles.

Conclusions

  • The disease, as the study reveals, spreads from already infected horses to those susceptible through contaminated water and other sources, hence emphasizing the need for proper biosecurity measures to prevent an outbreak.
  • The research also indicates the possibility of pneumonia secondary to strangles, accompanied by an increase in cardiac troponin I (cTnI), suggesting a risk of heart involvement in the infected horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Neamat-Allah AN, Damaty HM. (2016). Strangles in Arabian horses in Egypt: Clinical, epidemiological, hematological, and biochemical aspects. Vet World, 9(8), 820-826. https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2016.820-826

Publication

Veterinary world
ISSN: 0972-8988
NlmUniqueID: 101504872
Country: India
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 8
Pages: 820-826

Researcher Affiliations

Neamat-Allah, Ahmed N F
  • Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Alzeraa Street Postal Code 44511, Zagazig City, Sharkia Province, Egypt.
Damaty, Hend M El
  • Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Alzeraa Street Postal Code 44511, Zagazig City, Sharkia Province, Egypt.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Foreman JH, Tennent-Brown BS, Oyama MA, Sisson DD. Plasma Cardiac Troponin-I Concentration in Normal Horses and in Horses with Cardiac Abnormalities. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 3;15(1).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15010092pubmed: 39795035google scholar: lookup
  2. Bekele D, Dessalegn B, Tadesse B, Abey SL. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi from strangles suspected equines: molecular detection, antibiogram profiles and risk factors. BMC Vet Res 2024 Aug 23;20(1):377.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04236-zpubmed: 39180060google scholar: lookup
  3. Zu H, Sun R, Li J, Guo X, Wang M, Guo W, Wang X. Development of a Real-Time Recombinase-Aided Amplification Method for the Rapid Detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. Microorganisms 2024 Apr 11;12(4).
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