On May 29, a 2-year-old Thoroughbred colt in Barn 85 at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga County, New York, tested positive for strangles. The horse was shipped to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital on May 28 for evaluation and treatment of a respiratory infection. He began treatment immediately and was transported from the hospital to a private layup facility. 

Barn 85 is now under quarantine. A 24-hour security watch has been established, and all horses in the barn will receive regular temperature checks. The horses under quarantine are not permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population. Asymptomatic horses in Barn 85 will have isolated training hours at the Oklahoma Training Track following the close of training for the general horse population at 10 a.m. 

EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.

About Strangles

Strangles in horses is an infection caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi and spread through direct contact with other equids or contaminated surfaces. Horses that aren’t showing clinical signs can harbor and spread the bacteria, and recovered horses remain contagious for at least six weeks, with the potential to cause outbreaks long-term.

Infected horses can exhibit a variety of clinical signs:

• Fever
• Swollen and/or abscessed lymph nodes
• Nasal discharge
• Coughing or wheezing
• Muscle swelling
• Difficulty swallowing

Veterinarians diagnose horses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing with either a nasal swab, wash, or an abscess sample, and they treat most cases based on clinical signs, implementing antibiotics for severe cases. Overuse of antibiotics can prevent an infected horse from developing immunity. Most horses make a full recovery in three to four weeks.

A vaccine is available but not always effective. Biosecurity measures of quarantining new horses at a facility and maintaining high standards of hygiene and disinfecting surfaces can help lower the risk of outbreak or contain one when it occurs.