an acute infectious disease of horses manifested by mucopurulent inflammation of the nasal and pharyngeal mucous membrane and submandibular lymph nodes.
Strangles occurs everywhere, most often in countries with a temperate or cold climate; sporadic cases are reported in the USSR. The causative agent is Streptococcus equi, a highly resistant microorganism in the environment. The source of the pathogen is infected horses and those that have recovered from the disease. The disease may be transmitted through feed, water, grooming objects, troughs, and stable walls contaminated by the pus and nasal discharge of diseased horses. Strangles epizootics usually occur in late fall, winter, or early spring. The course of the disease is generally acute. The typical form of strangles is characterized by fever, listlessness, anorexia, and enlargement of the submandibular lymph nodes and formation of abscesses in them. The diagnosis is based on epizootiological data, clinical symptoms, and results of laboratory tests. Sick horses are isolated and treated. Each animal must be individually cared for, fed, and watered. The stalls, grooming objects, harnesses, and troughs must be thoroughly disinfected.