Ridecamp: RE: [RC] REACTION TO VACCINE?

> 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?

The strangles vaccine is a live bacterial vaccine, and given the age of
the horse and the immunosuppression of another vaccine given concurrently,
it could well cause the symptoms.

> 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?


In the case of your horse contracting strangles following a routine
procedure, I'd suspect that it was mechanically carried to your premises
on the vet's feet, tires, or some other mechanical thing.  As I mentioned,
it survives quite nicely in the environment.  I don't know of ANY evidence
that horses are carriers, and am only hypothesizing that those fractional
few who have internal abcesses might be.

> Strangles, for me, continues to be one of those horse mysteries.

To me, it seems pretty straightforward--but then I've dealt with it
professionally on more occasions than I care to count.  Computer software,
on the other hand, continues to be a mystery to me.  That doesn't mean
that folks like you don't have a pretty good understanding of it...  ;-)

Heidi
> 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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 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
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 If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws 
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