A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: 17 Apr 2009
Source: The Now, Surrey, BC [edited]
Horse disease won't strangle rodeo
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A month before the Cloverdale Rodeo is set to host championship
cowboys from around North America, officials are left scrambling to
contain a highly contagious disease afflicting horses at the Fraser
Downs racetrack. At least 2 horses at Fraser Downs have come down
with an illness known as strangles, which is a form of streptococcus
affecting horses.
On Thursday [16 Apr 2009], rodeo officials were awaiting word from
veterinarian Dr. Ed Weibe on the status of the 500 horses in barns at
the racetrack before deciding on a course of action.
Cloverdale Rodeo spokeswoman Laura Balance said officials are
concerned about the infection but are formulating plans to deal with
it. "Obviously it's concerning, but we have a plan and we're going to
do what we need to do to ensure that the horses are safe when they
come to the rodeo this year," Balance said. "Our plan is to ensure
that any infection is not transferred from our neighbours onto our
grounds." Balance said the options include sanitizing the barns,
setting up a temporary quarantine barn or simply keeping the
competition rodeo stock at another location. Balance said no
competitors have pulled out of the rodeo yet.
Chuck Keeling, vice-president of Great Canadian Casinos, which owns
the racetrack, denied the track is suffering from "an outbreak or an epidemic."
[Byline: Marisa Babic, Surrey Now]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland
[At this time there are no reports of strangles elsewhere in Canada
and the US cases are at a distance in time and place, not in
adjoining States to British Columbia. I suspect that this is a widely
under-reported disease. This is an infection due to _Streptococcus
equi_ that travels with horses so it will be interesting to hear the
results of Dr Weibe's swabbing of the 500 horses at the racetrack.
The racetrack has a number of websites, but try:
To find British Columbia, go to:
Surrey:
- Mod.MHJ]
[see also:
2008
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Equine strangles - USA: (OH) 20080212.0562
2005
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Strangles, equine - USA (DE) 20050531.1517
Strangles, equine - USA (multistate)(02): proposed rule, FL 20050407.0999
Strangles, equine - USA (multistate) 20050402.0950
Strangles, equine - USA (CA) 20050313.0739
2004
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Strangles, equine - USA (GA) 20040419.1088
1997
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Strangles, horses - USA (Louisiana) 19971203.2416]
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