The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has formulated practical recommendations and measures for disease control. These specific protocols provide guidance for containment and cleanup. Work with your veterinarian to achieve best results.

Once a horse is identified with suspect or confirmed strangles, minimize horse movement and limit mingling of exposed and non-exposed horses. It is a good plan to separate a sick horse in an isolation area away from all other horses, but it is not a good idea to move exposed horses in with yet-unexposed horses just to get them away from a sick horse. It is particularly important to protect pregnant mares and youngsters.

A single fence line between horses might protect horses from injuring one another, but it does little to protect against disease. Primary means of disease transmission, such as nose-to-nose contact and shared water sources, can still occur.

An isolation area must be located a sufficient distance from highly trafficked areas. Contaminated pastures should be kept free of horses for at least a month. Water tanks should be cleaned and disinfected daily.

Check rectal temperatures twice daily on those horses not yet sick, and immediately isolate those showing any indication of illness.

These measures should remain in effect at least three or four weeks following resolution of the last case of illness on a farm. Contact regulatory agencies and others whose horses might be affected by contact with the sick horses, for example, van companies, show barns, race barns, and sale barns. Apprise owners of incoming broodmares about the situation, and communicate about the steps being taken for control and eradication, while also updating owners whose horses are confined to the farm.

When possible, assign specific personnel to handle only the sick animals. Keep the number of these caretakers to a minimum to limit transfer of infective material around the farm. Supply disposable coveralls and foot covers or rubber boots that are to be worn only when in contact with sick horses, and provide footbath's with effective disinfectant solutions for use as people leave the isolation area. Caretakers of ill animals should not contact other animals following care of sick and contagious horses unless they employ appropriate precautions to avoid spread of the bacteria.

Cleansing of hands after working with ill horses or handling contaminated equipment, along with disinfections of any equipment used with ill horses, are critical strategies in reducing the chance of spreading disease agents.

Do not move equipment, buckets, grooming tools, or feed between the isolation barns and the well animals. Carefully dispose of or compost bedding that has been contaminated by sick horses, and restrict access of domestic or wild animals to contaminated materials and/or sick horses. "Things with legs move things around!"

Although the greatest sources of strangles transmission are carrier horses, the environment also provides opportunities for infection to travel through the property. Be conscious of animals you might not normally consider disease vectors, such as dogs, cats, pet goats, pigs, and rabbits that may wander the property. Contaminated bedding should be composted beneath a layer of plastic so flies cannot access bedding.

The high expense of tractors, horse trailers, and other wheeled equipment makes it tempting to use one machine for all horses at all locations on the farm, and this opens up endless possibilities for spread of disease.

Once strangles has been contained on a premises, cleanup becomes a vital part of further reducing numbers of sick animals, and in allowing future movement of horses on and off of the farm without concern. Cleanup is a laborious and tedious process, but success is in paying attention to the details. All stall and barn walls, floors, ceilings, ledges, corners, aisle ways, and wash racks should be disinfected, as well as any other surface that is exposed to horse traffic. Also, scrub down fences and anything that might have been contaminated by respiratory secretions, using disinfecting agents known to kill the streptococcal organisms.

Most important is identifying the carrier animals so they don't enable persistence of strangles on the farm.

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info@jarvisinsurance.com or visit us at http://www.jarvisinsurance.com

This article is for informational use only. Readers are cautioned to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Information derived by Internet sources pertaining to equine health, AAEP guidelines and equine diseases, thehorse.com.