Strangles
Act now to protect your horse
With over 600 outbreaks in the UK every year, strangles is a major concern for horse owners. Caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi, the highly infectious disease causes pain and distress and can, in some cases, prove fatal. Affected yards are often shut down for several months, but recent research could prove to be the light at the end of the tunnel. The Animal Health Trust, in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Karolinska Institute and Intervacc AB, has developed a vaccine called Strangvac. So far it’s proved effective, protecting 80% of horses against strangles. “Strangvac is an extremely exciting vaccine,” explains Dr Andrew Waller, head of bacteriology at the Animal Health Trust. “The vaccine was designed using information from sequencing the DNA of Streptococcus equi and highlights the potential that the genomeera [using information from the sequencing of an organism’s DNA] heralds for improving the health of animals and people. “The vaccine showed excellent levels of protection against strangles and is worthy of further development.” Researchers developed and tested five different strangles vaccines on 40 horses. After vaccination, which was given both intranasally and subcutaneously, the horses were exposed to strangles. Recordings of the horses’ temperatures and inflammatory responses were then taken to deduce how successful each vaccine had been. Horses treated with the Strangvac4 vaccine showed a significant reduction in elevated temperatures, as well as a reduction in the inflammatory processes associated with the development of abscesses in the lymph nodes. Researchers concluded that Strangvac 4 conferred excellent levels of protection against strangles, and is worthy of further development and clinical investigation. Further research is needed to develop a vaccine that can be widely used by vets. “Improving the health of horses is a core aim of the Animal Health Trust,” said Dr Waller. “We’re proud to have helped make this vaccine a reality, working towards breaking the hold this disease has on our horses.”