Wisconsin rescue mare’s strangles case highlights intake risk

A Wisconsin mare in Jefferson County has tested positive for strangles after arriving from a rescue, according to an EDCC Health Watch report published by Equus Magazine. A separate EDCC Health Watch report said a 2-year-old Quarter Horse gelding in Michigan’s Marquette County tested positive on March 5 after developing bilateral nasal discharge on Feb. 23; that horse is recovering, with one additional horse suspected positive and two exposed. Strangles is caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and spreads through direct contact or contaminated surfaces, and horses without obvious clinical signs can still spread it. (equusmagazine.com)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and facility managers, the Wisconsin case is another reminder that intake from rescues, auctions, and other mixed-origin settings can raise biosecurity risk if quarantine and monitoring aren’t tight. AAEP guidance recommends quarantining new arrivals for three weeks while monitoring temperatures, and isolating any horse with fever, lymphadenopathy, or nasal discharge immediately. AAEP’s more recent biosecurity handout also advises dedicated equipment, no nose-to-nose contact, and twice-daily temperature checks during quarantine. In Michigan, strangles is a reportable equine disease, underscoring the regulatory importance of prompt reporting and movement controls when cases are suspected or confirmed. (aaep.org)

What to watch: Watch for any quarantine details, additional exposed horses, or follow-up EDCC alerts that clarify whether either case expands into a larger barn- or rescue-linked outbreak. (equusmagazine.com)