Streptococcus equi Infections in Equine Populations
Summary
Streptococcus equi subspecies equi is the causative agent of strangles, a highly contagious and globally prevalent equine disease characterised by fever, mucopurulent nasal discharge and abscessation of lymph nodes in the head and neck. Transmission occurs via direct contact or fomites and recovered horses may harbour the organism in the guttural pouches, serving as asymptomatic carriers and perpetuating outbreaks. Strangles imposes substantial welfare and economic burdens on the horse industry, prompting the development of advanced diagnostics, vaccines and biosecurity protocols. Genomic studies have revealed a dynamic genome driven by acquisition of mobile genetic elements, prophages and genomic islands that shape virulence, antimicrobial resistance and host adaptation. Control strategies integrate rapid point-of-care detection, targeted vaccination and surveillance of carrier animals to limit spread and protect equine populations worldwide.
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Streptococcus equi Infections in Equine Populations publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in streptococcus equi infections in equine populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Strangles: A suppurative lymphadenitis of horses caused by S. equi, marked by fever, nasal discharge and abscess formation in head and neck lymph nodes.
Recombinase-aided amplification (RAA): An isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique using recombinase enzymes for rapid onsite detection of pathogen DNA.
Prophage: A bacteriophage genome integrated into a bacterial chromosome, often carrying genes that influence host virulence and fitness.
Genomic island: A large, horizontally acquired DNA segment in a bacterial genome that frequently encodes virulence factors or antibiotic resistance.
Core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST): A genotyping approach comparing allelic profiles across a set of conserved genes to resolve fine-scale population structure.
Guttural pouch: An air-filled diverticulum of the Eustachian tube in equids, serving as a niche for S. equi persistence and carriage.
References
- Complete genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of three donkey Streptococcus equi subsp. equi isolates. Frontiers in Microbiology (2023).
- Development of a Real-Time Recombinase-Aided Amplification Method for the Rapid Detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. Microorganisms (2024).
- Comparison of nasopharyngeal and guttural pouch specimens to determine the optimal sampling site to detect Streptococcus equi subsp equi carriers by DNA amplification. BMC Veterinary Research (2017).
- Genomic Evidence for the Evolution of Streptococcus equi: Host Restriction, Increased Virulence, and Genetic Exchange with Human Pathogens. PLOS Pathogens (2009).
- Globetrotting strangles: the unbridled national and international transmission of Streptococcus equi between horses. Microbial Genomics (2021).
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