Strangles Outbreak In North Queensland

Horse owners are urged to consider vaccinating their horses against strangles after several cases of the disease have been diagnosed in North Queensland.

Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection in horses. Biosecurity Queensland veterinary officer Charlotte Williamson said strangles could cause fever, loss of appetite and a yellow-green nasal discharge, which leads to abscesses in the lymph nodes of the throat. "The abscesses are hot and painful and eventually burst and leak pus," she said. "Enlarged lymph nodes may cause respiratory distress and difficulty in swallowing. "Occasionally, infection can spread to other areas of the horse’s body and form abscesses and cause chronic illness and weight loss." Dr Williamson said the disease mainly occurs in young horses less than five years of age. "But horses of any age are susceptible if there’s no prior immunity," she said. "The best form of protection is an annual vaccination, which can be sourced through your local veterinarian." {sidebar id=3}Diseases such as strangles highlight the importance of good biosecurity measures, including:
- keeping horse gear and equipment clean and disinfecting equipment between use
- washing hands before and after handling different horses
- monitoring visitor movements on your property and avoiding visitor contact with your horses unless they have clean hands, clothing and boots
- keeping records of horse movements on and off your property
- quarantining new horses to your property for at least two weeks before introducing with others
- isolating sick horses from other horses on your property
- feeding and tending to sick horses after dealing with other horses. Horse property owners are advised all Queensland properties with one or more horses are required to have a property identification code (PIC). For more advice on horse biosecurity and PICs visit http://www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au/ or call 13 25 23.