Etio-epizootiology of the strangles

Abstract

Data on some aspects of strangles as related as it etio-epizootiology in thoroughbred horses are presented. This work was carried out on two groups of animals: a) horses in training and living in the “Vila Hípica” of the "Jockey Club
de São Paulo”, and b) horses which were not training, anti which were living on farms in the State of São Paulo. From 227 recuperated animals of the first group 11 carriers were detected, and 12 carriers were detected among 87 horses which have never suffered the disease. In the group “b” only one carrier was detected among 76 adults recuperated animals. No carrier were observed among non-infected young animals. Forty-one hemolytic streptococci were isolated from 495 samples taken from the nasal mucosa of all studied animals. The following strains could be revealed among those streptococci: 24 of Streptococcus e.qui and 11 of Streptococcus zooepidemicus. However, six samples could not be identified. All the use experimental tests have been throughly described in order to have the isolated samples classified. The importance of the carrier animals in the etio-epizootiology of the strangles has been discussed by the author on the basis of these experimental data.