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As reports of equine Strangles cases rise, horse owners are reminded to be vigilant
Following reports of a Strangles outbreak in the East Midlands, the equine welfare charity, Bransby Horses, is urging anyone in direct contact with horses to review their biosecurity measures and to keep a careful watch on the health of their equines.
The charity will be supporting and giving technical, veterinary advise to Strangles Awareness Week campaign, which runs from 1 May this year. Caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi, Strangles is a highly infectious respiratory disease which in severe cases can be fatal. It spreads through either direct horse to horse contact or indirectly through contaminated equipment such as handler’s clothing and boots, and feed and especially water sources.
Jeremy Kemp-Symonds, veterinary advisor at Bransby Horses, recently co-authored a research paper which defines the rate Streptococcus equi spreads.
He said: “We have defined the R0 number – that’s a measure of the rate at which the infection spreads – for the first time at just over two. That means that, on average, every horse that is infected with Strangles will infect another two, if no preventative action is taken”.
He advised that although this is quite high, it is possible to break the cycle of infection. Implementing good biosecurity, quarantining known or suspected cases and regularly checking temperatures of our horses, to help assess those that may be infected are simple measures that can help contain the spread of infection. And although Bransby Horses is constantly challenged by welfare cases, they haven’t had a single outbreak for over 15 years because of their stringent biosecurity and isolation measures.
Owners can keep a track of the occurrence of Strangles on the Surveillance of Equine Strangles website. Veterinary advise should be sought by anyone concerned about their horse’s health.
Jeremy Kemp-Symonds’ co-authored research paper can be read online here.
Find out more about taking your horse’s temperature and Strangles in general at bransbyhorses.co.uk
