Florida confirms strangles case at private Putnam County facility

Florida officials have confirmed a strangles case at a private equine facility in Putnam County, with one horse testing positive and later being euthanized. Five other horses were reported exposed, and the premises is under official quarantine, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services report circulated through the Equine Disease Communication Center and republished by The Horse. The case appears to be separate from an earlier April 14 strangles alert in Broward County, where one horse was confirmed positive, one was suspected positive, and 13 horses were exposed at another private facility. (thehorse.com)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and practice teams, the Putnam County case is another reminder that Florida continues to see multiple confirmed strangles premises in 2026. Strangles is a reportable disease in Florida, and University of Florida IFAS guidance says movement of horses on and off affected farms should stop during an outbreak. AAEP guidance also notes that horses can transmit infection before obvious clinical signs and that guttural pouch lavage PCR with endoscopy is the preferred test to identify carrier animals, which matters for quarantine release and outbreak cleanup. (edis.ifas.ufl.edu)

What to watch: Watch for any added cases among exposed horses, how long quarantine remains in place, and whether follow-up testing identifies silent shedders before the facility is cleared. (aaep.org)