Strangles Awareness Week

This May is Strangles Awareness Week, an important time to highlight the impact Strangles can have.

What is strangles?

Strangles is an extremely contagious illness that affects the horse’s upper respiratory tract. It is the most common infectious disease in the UK and worldwide. Strangles is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi, not a virus.

Strangles outbreaks can involve many or even all horses becoming ill on yards where they live or interact. Any horse can get strangles, whatever their age, breed, health or value.

How do horses get strangles?

Strangles is NOT an airborne disease, though a horse can cough or snort infected material several feet. However, the disease can spread rapidly between horses, especially those that have not been exposed to the disease in the past. Strangles bacteria spread most easily through direct contact between horse, but can also be passed on indirectly via surfaces, equipment, water and people’s hands and clothing.

How can strangles be prevented?

There are lots of good biosecurity practices, often simple, practical steps, that will help to protect horses from the threat of strangles. Horse owners and yard managers are taking steps to reduce their strangles risk. Some of the most effective ways of making good biosecurity a normal part of their horse include screening new horses to a yard, infection awareness when attending events, avoiding sharing facilities/equipment with horses of an unknown Strangles status.

Can horses be vaccinated against strangles?

Strangles vaccines are available and can help reduce the chance of a horse becoming infected or reduce the severity of symptoms they experience. Vaccination should not be seen as a replacement for other biosecurity measures, they will work best alongside other steps that also help protect horses from the spread of disease.

Our vets can offer advice on current vaccination products and which options may be most suitable for individual horses or circumstances. We can also guide you on how make the most of good biosecurity habits that can make a real difference to reducing strangles risk.

Redwings have produced a free Strangles Information pack, download your pack below