OCCURRENCE OF
LANCEFIELD GROUP C STREPTOCOCCAL SPECIES
IN STRANGLES CASES OF FOALS IN
PUNJAB,
PAKISTAN
S. MANZOOR, M.
SIDDIQUE, SAJJAD-UR-RAHMAN AND M. ASHRAF1
Department of Microbiology,
University
of
Agriculture,
Faisalabad;
1Remount
Veterinary
School,
Sargodha,
Pakistan
Abstract
Three equine rearing districts of
Punjab,
Pakistan including
Sargodha,
Okara and
Faisalabad
were surveyed. The occurrence of strangles was highest in foals during February
to the start of May compared to winter and summer seasons. Strangles-inflicted
foals showed inability to eat, strangled breathing with roaring sounds, swollen
submandibular and submaxillary lymph nodes, abscessation in the lymph nodes,
hyperthermia and anorexia with general debilitating conditions. Morbidity and
case fatality rates were 78 and 2%, respectively. Pus samples were collected
from 70 foals showing burst lymph node abscesses and processed on blood agar.
Typical growth showing pinpoint mucoid colonies, with beta hemolysis and
catalase negative characteristics were subjected to API Strep 20 system. The
isolates of streptococcus recovered from pus samples include
S. equi subspecies equi (54%),
S. equi subspecies zooepidemicus (11%),
S. dysgalactia subspecies equisimilis (11%) and mixed isolates of
S. equisimilis and
S. equi (23%).
Streptococcus species were found sensitive to Penicillin and Cefotoxime,
whereas Gentamycine and Tetracycline were ineffective.
Key words:
Strangles, foals, SDS-PAGE, M-protein, Streptococcus species.
