STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER)

Question 1

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) Etiology

Answer 1

Streptococcus equi subsp. equ

Question 2

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) species affected

Answer 2

horses, donkeys, and mules worldwide

Question 3

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) age, morbidity, mortality

Answer 3

Greater in younger horses such as foals and weanlings.Morbidity rates (100%) can occur, especially in young horses.Case-fatality rate without treatment is about 9% if untreated or 1-2%

Question 4

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) sources of infection

Answer 4

Nasal and abscess discharge from infected animals that contaminates pasture, tack, stalls, feed and water troughs, grooming equipment, and hands and clothes

Question 5

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) survival in environment

Answer 5

S. equi can surivive in the environment for at least 2 months,

Question 6

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) Importance

Answer 6

Up to 30% of reported infectious disease episodes in developed countries. Deaths and disruption of the management of commercial horse establishments, time to treat affected horses and the esthetic unpleasantness of the running noses and draining abscesses

Question 7

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) virulence factor

Answer 7

M protein

Question 8

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) acute symptoms

Answer 8

incubation period of 1-3 weeks.

Serous nasal discharge, which rapidly becomes copious and purulent, and a severe pharyngitis and laryngitis. Rarely mild conjunctivitis. Moist cough. Lymphadenopathy, pain. Swelling of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes may cause obstruction of the oro- and nasopharynx with subsequent respiratory distress and dysphagia.

Question 9

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) complications

Answer 9

20% cases.

Suppurative necrotic broncopneumonia.

Infection into guttural pouches.

Impairement of recurrent largyngeal nerves.

Metastatic, (bastard strangles).

Purpura hemorrhagica.

Question 10

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) samples for diagnosis

Answer 10

Bacteriology - swab of abscess wall, enlarged lymph node (CULT)

Question 11

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) diagnosis

Answer 11

S. equi in nasal, pharyngeal or guttural pouch swabs, oropharyngeal pus or lymph node abscess pus.

PCR of nasal, pharyngeal or guttural pouch swabs.

High SeM antibody titer in chronic disease or convalescence

Question 12

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) confirmation

Answer 12

Isolation of S. equi

Question 13

STRANGLES (EQUINE DISTEMPER) treatment

Answer 13

Penicillin IM or IV.

Guttural pouch empyema requires either surgical drainage or repeated flushing of the affected pouch through the pharyngeal openings