Abstract
Strangles is a highly pathogenic and contagious infection of horses and other equids caused by Streptococcus equi. Reports in the literature summarize the severe complications of strangles, but provide little information on the factors enhancing the pathogenicity and complications that result in high mortalities. However, there are reports suggesting exceptionally nutritious diets will exacerbate strangles infections and promote complications, including bacteremia and metastases to lymph nodes throughout the body and sequalae like purpura hemorrhagic and myositis. Dietary ingredients may enhance S. equi capsular polysaccharide (CPS) which protects bacteria from the immune system and phagocytosis. Low-virulent bacteria may become highly virulent pathogenic bacteria. Overly nutritious diets enhance the pathogenicity of S. equi and efficiency of bacterins, vaccines and antibiotics intended for controlling and treating strangles in horses. The effect of diet on the pathogenesis of S. equi in horses may be an ideal model for other bacterial diseases of horses as well as bacterial diseases like Pasturella multocida respiratory infections in cattle and other livestock.
Highlights
Strangles is a highly pathogenic and contagious infection of horses and other equids caused by Streptococcus equi [1]
The enlarged and abscessed retropharyngeal lymph nodes may rupture into the guttural pouches causing an empyema resulting in chronic infections and a source for constant shedding of S. equi through nasal secretions
All infections were restricted to the regional upper respiratory lymph nodes, and the guttural pouches were not affected with empyema
Summary
Strangles is a highly pathogenic and contagious infection of horses and other equids caused by Streptococcus equi [1]. The acute bacterial disease is an upper respiratory infection characterized by rhinopharyngitis, serous and mucopurulent ocular and nasal discharge, pyrexia, coughing, and suppurative lymphadenitis of the submandibular, submaxillary and retropharyngeal lymph nodes [2,3]. Strangles may become exacerbated and chronic if the disease is interfered by detrimental factors. Severe strangles infections can be fatal because of a variety of complications that occur [2,3]. Bacteremia may occur with metastases to the periorbital, bronchial, mesenteric and other lymph nodes forming chronic abscesses. S. equi may infect the brain with fatal neurologic lesions [4]. Complications of S. equi infections are often referred to as bastard strangles (metastatic abscessation). Myositis, and other syndromes are sequalae to strangles complications [3]
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