Streptococcus equi subspecies equi infection (strangles) in horses.

The research article is about a highly contagious respiratory infection in horses called Streptococcal Equi AKA “strangles”, its symptoms, complications, and the importance of detection for disease prevention.

About Strangles

• Strangles is an upper-respiratory disease caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. This disease primarily affects horses and is known to be widespread and highly contagious.
• The infection can be spread in several ways — through inhalation or direct contact with nasal discharge from an infected horse. Once a horse becomes infected, symptoms appear that include fever, depression, and an enlargement of the lymph nodes below the jaw and around the throat area. These enlarged lymph nodes may restrict breathing hence the term ‘strangles’.

Complications

• The paper mentions possible complications of this disease. One complication is ‘purpura hemorrhagica‘, a condition characterized by bruising, swollen legs, and possibly swelling of the face, trunk or genitals. This condition results from an immune-mediated response and is severe but relatively uncommon.
• The other complication is ‘metastatic abscessation’. This occurs when strangles spreads to different parts of the horse’s body, resulting in internal abscesses. This complication is even less common but can be very serious. It generally occurs in horses that fail to fully recover from strangles and suffer from a chronic form of the disease.

Controlling and Preventing Strangles

• The researchers, in this paper, place great emphasis on the importance of managing outbreaks of strangles. This requires strict isolation protocols to be put into place in order to prevent the spread of infection. These include separating infected horses, performing regular disinfection routines, and implementing strict hygiene measures around the farm.
• The paper also highlights the importance of detecting carrier horses. These are animals that have been infected with Strangles, but may not show observable symptoms. Detecting these carriers is essential to prevent the recurrence of the disease on a farm. The failure to identify and properly manage carriers is one of the main reasons why Strangles is hard to eradicate from some equestrian premises.