Strangles Prevention essays

Strangles Prevention essays Strangles is a highly contagious infection that plagues horses, and it needs to be controlled. The transmission of strangles is very easy, and its effects on horses are very serious. Vaccines should be required for all horses. Measures need to be taken to control the spread of strangles immediately. Strangles is the common term for streptococcus equi bacterium (Small). The name strangles comes from the effects of the bacteria. The streptococcus bacteria cause abscesses in the throat of a horse(Kunz). These abscesses grow so large they cut off the trachea and strangle the horse(Kunz 1). Infection in one to five percent of cases may spread to other organs of the body(Kunz 1). The infection of other organs is called Bastard Strangles (Prescott 2). This type of strangles can create a brain abscess that has the potential to rupture, which would cause immediate death in a horse. The Animal Health Trust states, The disease (strangles) can be severe and prolonged with up to ten percent of cases dying of complications,(Chanter 1). A horse may build up immunities to strangles, but first it has to contract the bacteria. Of the horses that do contract the strangles bacteria 25 percent do not develop the immunity to the bacteria (Equivac 1). Horses can contract strangles a number of ways. Foals are especially high at risk. The main distribution of the bacteria is by nose discharges and burst abscesses, therefore anything an infected horse is in contact with has the bacteria (Small 1). The Streptococcus Equi bacteria is hardy and can live in straw for months and on any other object for periods of time (Horses in the News 4). This leaves farms with horses traveling in and out and any other horse recreation susceptible to a strangles outbreak. The complications of strangles causes a serious problem in the horse world. Poor horse management is to blame. There is a vaccine available to ...