OCCURRENCE OF LANCEFIELD GROUP C STREPTOCOCCAL SPECIES IN STRANGLES CASES OF FOALS IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

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.