Strangles

[Mossy]

Just picked up on Wally's thread about strangles in Shetland. we have it near Plymouth and it seems to be several points inbetween as well. WHY? What has caused these coincident sporadic outbreaks and what can be done to prevent them holding hands!? We are all on tenterhooks as it is only just across the valley, and the yard concerned have apparently turned their infected ones out to keep the yard clean! [I ask you].

[Wally]

There are rumours that it is less than 3 miles away now. And this is why, The only island to have infected animals was Unst, the most northerly and over an hour and a half drive away, and more importantly 2 ferries. A chap with mares there wanted a stallion to cover them, rightly so folk refused to send the stallion to Unst, so the chap down the road told him he could send the mare to his stallion, radio latrine says he now has mares and his stallion infected.

We were going to go south and compete at the Celtic cup, but it would be too irresponsable to move horses now it is so close. We have a strict foot bath and hand washing regeme in place to try to keep it away, but.....

[Mehitabel]

some people are really irresponsible. one year ruben missed wembley and olympia because there was strangles in our area and we didn't want to risk taking him up there and infecting all those horses.
we've had it in the yard twice since i've been there, it's a pain, but it's cope-able with. and it was good practice for fmd with all the disinfection!

[Zingy]

So can you disinfect against it? We had a few outbreaks last year, thankfully none too close. The biggest problem is finding out about it though - we were told after one yard had it for 3 months.

[floppy]

sorry to start this up again but can people get strangles too?

because it has been said that a yard that i have to drive past everyday has strangles and that the owner has it too. Its about 10-12 km away from where my horse is

[Wally]

Wouldn't have thought so as the bug is called sreptococcus Equii Equii which would indicate horses, but the streptococcus bug can infect people in a huge amount of ways.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by floppy
sorry to start this up again but can people get strangles too?

because it has been said that a yard that i have to drive past everyday has strangles and that the owner has it too. Its about 10-12 km away from where my horse is

Maybe they meant that the owner's horses had it?

[Mary Ann Bright]

I am quite sure that people cannot get strangles. Isn't there a vaccine to prevent it in horses? When i had my horse i had to immunise her once a year with an injection that immunised against both tetnus and strangles. But i read an article on strangles in a UK magazine, Your Horse , about strangles, and the vaccine didn't get a mention.:confused:

Please correct me if i'm wrong. It sounds like a terrible disease. :(

[Wally]

In the UK you cannot vaccinate against strangles, in the US you can.

[floppy]

:o yup they meant his yard had it. It broke out in the foals.
No one knows where it came from because the last time any 'foreign' horses were at his yard was in september

[DebO]

See my new thread on Strangles update.

If you know of other places other than those I have mentioned please update my note on the BHS site as well.

The reason why it is spreading is because no one is owning up to having it, the vets are not telling customers either (confidentiality!).

Humans cannot get strangles but pass it on if they have had contact with a horse or any object that a strangles horse has come into contact with. Strict handling by restricted number of people, everything has to be disenfected including cars, clothes etc.

The only way we can help control it is by putting up information about the whereabouts of these outbreaks, otherwise it will be like the foot and mouth again. Strangles has been about for years and usually around at this time of year.