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Re: [RC] Strangles in SE region - Carla RichardsonI think individual immunity is the main factor. A few years back when I lived in the Cortez, CO area there were some cases of pigeon fever around the county. I had never heard of "pigeon fever" before that, and like most people thought it was carried by birds until I started reading about it.
We had 14 horses then, and one of my mares exhibited the classic pigeon fever signs. She was with the "herd" on about 50 acres, and she was the only horse that contracted it. She was one of my older ones, I think she was 17 or 18. I did nothing special other than isolate her in a corral, when I noticed she had the swollen chest. I did not give her antibiotics, on advice of my vet and also because of most of what I read, to not give antibiotics. She did eventually get one really big swollen place on her chest, which I punctured and drained (yuck). It drained and did not fill up again. After the swelling was down, I turned her out with the others. None of my other horses got sick at all. I had horses ranging from foals to 24 yrs old.
That particular mare was bred the following year, the foal is now 3 yrs old and has never been sick a day in her life, at least so far. <g>
Carla Richardson
Colorado
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