The bacterium that causes strangles is called Streptococcus equi. The bacterium is highly contagious and can be transmitted through nose-to-nose contact, human clothing, water troughs, and items such as halters and brushes. The bacterium can survive for a few days in water and soil. Outbreaks usually occur in colder months. Infected horses develop fever and nasal discharge, initially white and then yellow. These horses should be immediately isolated. Monitor the other horses daily to detect cases of fever promptly. Additionally, make sure to change into different clothing and wash yourself before moving from an infected horse to a healthy one. Strangles is often recognizable by a swollen lump under the jaw, which are inflamed lymph nodes that often burst outward, or in the throat, after which pus runs out of the nose like yellow mucus.

Guttural Strangles

In one to two percent of cases, strangles can turn inward. The bacterium then not only causes an infection in the throat but spreads throughout the horse's body. If abscesses form in other organs and those abscesses burst open, the horse can die. This is also known as 'guttural strangles.' A horse with typical strangles does not receive antibiotics (often only fever reducers) to ensure that the abscesses in the throat mature as quickly as possible and burst open. A horse with guttural strangles, on the other hand, requires prolonged antibiotic treatment to prevent the abscesses from bursting open.

Cornage

Strangles also poses a risk of long-term damage to the throat, especially to the nerves near the vocal cords. If one of the vocal cords becomes (partially) paralyzed due to the infection, cornage can occur or an existing cornage can worsen. This is often noticed when training a horse, as it makes a wheezing sound when inhaling. Mild forms of cornage are not a problem, even for sports. However, severe forms of cornage can impair endurance.

Preventing Strangles

You cannot protect your horse 100% against strangles. It is a common and highly contagious bacterium. Horses that have had it once are often protected for life. Vaccination is also an option but needs to be repeated very regularly. Some breeding stables make this mandatory for the foals they accept. To keep your horse healthy and resilient and support the immune system, you can use a supplement such as cloves, possibly combined with black cumin, a plant that is effective against infections. To support the respiratory system, an herbal extract containing eucalyptus and white willow, among other things, is an option.

Bronnen: www.paardenarts.nl Gezondheidsdienst Dieren. Droes bij paarden. https://www.gddiergezondheid.nl/nl/Diergezondheid/Dierziekten/Droes Kaneez Fatima Shad, Wissam Soubra, Dennis John Cordato. The role of thymoquinone, a major constituent of Nigella sativa, in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases. CEPP. 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1440-1681.13553 Boyle, A.G., Timoney, J.F., Newton, J.R., Hines, M.T., Waller, A.S. and Buchanan, B.R. (2018), Streptococcus equi Infections in Horses: Guidelines for Treatment, Control, and Prevention of Strangles—Revised Consensus Statement. J Vet Intern Med, 32: 633-647. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15043