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Velvet Digest

Can cattle catch strangles from horses?

Author

Ethan Hayes

Updated on May 21, 2026

Strangles is a highly contagious disease of equids including horses, donkeys and ponies. It is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi, often abbreviated Strep.

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Consequently, can vaccinated horses get strangles?

It is known that following vaccination, immunity will take a minimum of two to four weeks and the highest titers are usually obtained by eight weeks. Thus during an outbreak, if a horse is vaccinated and is then exposed to the infected horses before he has developed adequate immunity, he may contract strangles.”

Beside above, how do horses get strangles? The bacteria are primarily transferred between horses by direct contact or shared environments such as water troughs, with discharge from any draining abscesses being highly infective. It can also be transferred via a third-party such as people's hands or clothing, or tack and yard equipment.

In respect to this, what are the first signs of strangles in horses?

Clinical signs of strangles (usually seen within three to eight days of a horse being exposed) can include:

  • the rapid onset of pyrexia (high temperature); 39.5 to 41.5oC)
  • a loss of appetite.
  • yellowish discharge from the nostrils.
  • enlarged glands in the head and neck, that often form abscesses.
  • coughing, and.

How long should you quarantine a horse with strangles?

Infected horses usually show signs within two weeks of exposure, so preventing contact between potential carriers and a healthy herd for at least that long should reduce contagion. Three- to four-week quarantine periods for newcomers or exposed horses are usually enough to slow or stop the spread of the disease.

Related Question Answers

Can humans catch equine strangles?

Transmission to Humans. In rare cases, humans have contracted infections from the bacteria that cause Strangles. To prevent human infection, people caring for horses with Strangles should avoid getting any nasal or abscess discharge from the horse on their eyes, nose, or mouth.

Is there a cure for strangles in horses?

Treatment of strangles depends upon the stage of the disease and is multifactoral. Treatment with penicillin in horses that have enlarged lymph nodes will decrease clinical signs of the disease, but once the penicillin is stopped the disease is maintained until the lymph nodes go on to abscess and drain.

What happens if my horse is a carrier of strangles?

This is why you see nasal discharge as a sign of strangles. In most cases all of the pus in the abscesses will drain away as the disease takes its course but infection can remain in the guttural pouches in around 10% of strangles cases. This leads to a horse becoming known as a 'carrier' of strangles.

How contagious is strangles in horses?

Strangles is a highly contagious disease which can spread quickly through a yard via direct horse to horse contact or indirectly through tack, shared drinking water and on clothing. The bacteria can survive in water for up to four weeks.

How do you prevent strangles in horses?

Several measures can be taken to minimise the risk of Strangles on a yard, these include:
  1. Ensuring that the yard is not overcrowded.
  2. Avoid sharing tack or equipment from horses of an unknown health status.
  3. At shows/when away from the yard do not allow your horse to touch horses of an unknown health status.

Should I vaccinate my horse for strangles?

No. We do not recommend vaccinating your horse for the first time during an outbreak of Strangles on the same yard, this is because if a horse that is incubating strangles is vaccinated there is a higher chance of adverse reactions to the vaccination.

Can a horse get strangles twice?

Can A Horse Get Strangles More Than Once? Yes, but this is uncommon. About 75% of horses that get strangles will also develop a very strong immune response against S. equi, making them immune to reinfection for a long time, if not for the rest of their lives.

How often do you vaccinate horses for strangles?

Vaccination Schedule for Horses
Age Tetanus Strangles
Broodmare Booster Series Tetanus: annually, 4-6 weeks pre-partum Strangles: semi-annually, with one dose given 4-6 weeks pre-partum
Broodmare Primary Vaccinations Tetanus: 2-dose series Strangles: 3-dose series
Foal Tetanus: 3-dose series Strangles: 3-dose series

How do you clean up after strangles?

Water and feed buckets should be daily cleaned with a detergent and disinfected with a phenolic disinfectant, then thoroughly rinsed prior to use. The bacteria can persist in the environment for a variable amount of time, especially when protected by discharge material.

How long does strangles stay in the ground?

I Will Survive: Strangles Bacteria Viable Much Longer Than Originally Thought. Scary news from British researchers should have horse people on high alert: A research team has discovered that the bacteria that causes strangles can survive in the environment for up to 34 days.

How do you kill strangles bacteria?

Strangles is very easy to kill. Simple penicillin will kill it. However it is not that simple. If an infected horse is given antibiotics, it will only dampen the infection down.

What is the number one killer of horses?

The number one killer of horses is colic. Colic is not a disease, but rather a combination of signs that alert us to abdominal pain in the horse. Colic can range from mild to severe, but it should never be ignored.

Is strangles an airborne disease?

Strangles is exceptionally contagious, but the bacteria causing the disease, Streptococcus Equi equi, is relatively easy to kill. The disease is spread by contact only, it is not an air-borne disease.

Is strangles a reportable disease?

Strangles, a highly contagious upper respiratory tract disease caused by Streptococcus equi subsp equi, remains one of the most common diseases in horses. As of 2017, strangles is a reportable disease in the United States and many other countries.

Do horses with strangles cough?

For example, horses in a completely different barn with different equipment, caretakers, turnout, and exercise areas might fall into this group. Sick (red): These are the horses that have a fever or are showing signs of Strangles such as coughing, nasal discharge, or swollen lymph nodes.

What are the strangles?

Strangles is an infectious, contagious disease of Equidae characterized by abscessation of the lymphoid tissue of the upper respiratory tract. The causative organism, Streptococcus equi equi, is highly host-adapted and produces clinical disease only in horses, donkeys, and mules.

What causes thrush in horses?

The bacterium involved is Fusobacterium necrophorum, and occurs naturally in the animal's environment — especially in wet, muddy, or unsanitary conditions, such as an unclean stall — and grows best with low oxygen. Horses with deep clefts, or narrow or contracted heels are more at risk of developing thrush.

Can humans get strep from horses?

Horses and humans get similar throat infections via genetically similar bacteria. While humans get Streptococcus pyogenes, which causes "strep throat," horses get Streptococcus equi, which causes "strangles." Human strep researchers were hoping to figure out what it was in the S.