New research by Ashley Boyle, Ashley Boyle, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) New Bolton Center’s Equine Field Service team has revealed that the best method for diagnosing Strangles in horses is to take samples from a horse’s guttural pouch and analyze them using a loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

PCR is a molecular diagnostic test to find DNA within a sample through amplification that uses heat. LAMP is a type of DNA amplification that does not use heat, but rather travels in a loop.

Boyle is an internationally recognized expert on strangles who has been conducting research on the disease for more than 10 years. Her work is focused on ways to improve the sensitivity of diagnostic tests to detect the bacteria that cause this highly contagious upper respiratory disease.

Strangles is caused by Streptococcus equi bacteria, related to the bacteria that cause strep throat in humans. Clinical signs include nasal discharge, lethargy, and very high fever (over 103ºF) in horses. The lymph nodes can swell to the point of cutting off the airway, thus the name strangles