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Strangles
Contagious upper respiratory tract infection of equines / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see strangling.
This article is about a disease in equines also known as "distemper". For other diseases known as "distemper", see Distemper. For "puppy strangles", see Juvenile cellulitis.
Strangles (equine distemper) is a contagious upper respiratory tract infection of horses and other equines caused by a Gram-positive bacterium, Streptococcus equi.[1] As a result, the lymph nodes swell, compressing the pharynx, larynx, and trachea, and can cause airway obstruction leading to death, hence the name strangles.[2] Strangles is enzootic in domesticated horses worldwide. The contagious nature of the infection has at times led to limitations on sporting events.[3]
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