I stand corrected on it being a bacterial infection rather than a virus (I
write software, so everything is a "virus" these days<g>), but she described
symptoms that were far beyond a "transient sore throat, swelling". How do
you explain a horse suddenly developing such dramatic symptoms tied timewise
so completely with her inoculations? What if the WNV vaccine causes an
immune system reaction that allows for other biological responses?
Since I had a very healthy horse who contracted strangles through "no
contact with other horses" but got it following a routine vet procedure, and
since I've heard this type of story several times, and since a couple of the
vets I talked with at the time mentioned the anecdotal evidence of
"carriers", why do you say that only a fraction of a percent of horses might
harbor it? Do we have proof one way or another?
Strangles, for me, continues to be one of those horse mysteries.
Mike Sofen
-----Original Message-----
Those are the classic symptoms of strangles - copious mucous, coughing,
elevated temp, swelling behind/under the jawbone, depressed, don't want
to move. There has been talk of individual horses carrying the virus in
their systems for years, waiting for a trigger event...something that
compromises their immune system in a way that allows the virus to become
active. It may be that one of the vaccines was the trigger for an older
horse like yours. Even though strangles is highly contagious, your other
horses may not get it, so that's not proof. They have to do a culture.
First off, strangles is NOT a virus--it is caused by a streptococcus
bacteria. Second, no, horses do NOT harbor this bug for years, except
perhaps in that fraction of a percent who wall off internal abcesses.
However, it CAN live in the environment for years. Third, the vaccine is
a live bacteria, but is sufficiently altered that it is not actually
strangles--but it CAN cause a transcient sore throat, swelling, etc.
Heidi
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