Re: Strangles

[CMKSAGEHIL <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-03-04 16:49:45 EST, horsetrails@inficad.com writes:

<< What would you do?  I am leaning towards roughing it at base camp with the
 rest of the gang! >>

Hi, Cheryl--

I'd rough it at ride camp.

Strangles is a bacteria, not a virus.  It is extremely hardy and can live in
the ground at a contaminated facility for years.  In the past, vaccines have
been only moderately effective (about 85%) and the reaction to the vaccines in
many cases has made them not worth giving.   There is some hope on the
horizon, though--there is a new intranasal vaccine that just came on the
market that has a higher efficacy and much lower incidence of reactions.  May
well be worthwhile for those of us who travel and sometimes have to take
advantage of public facilities.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)