This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Strangles is one of the most common infectious diseases of horses worldwide, but accurately determining whether a horse has been exposed to the bacterium that causes it can be challenging. Researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have identified a protein that could help change that.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, researchers found that a protein they called P92 could be used to more accurately detect antibodies against Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE), the bacterium that causes strangles. The discovery could improve existing blood-based diagnostic testing and serve as the foundation for new tools that make detecting exposure to the bacterium easier. "Having fewer false-positive and false-negative results will improve diagnostic accuracy when trying to assess exposure to SEE," said Dr.
Noah Cohen, a university distinguished professor, regents professor and the Glen Blodgett Chair of Equine Studies in the VMBS' Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. "No test is perfect, but the more accurate the test, the better the clinical decisions that veterinarians can make." Strangles is an ancient disease of horses that occurs around the world. It typically causes nasal discharge and swelling of the lymph nodes beneath the jaw and at the back of the throat.
In severe cases, the swelling can interfere with a horse's ability to breathe—which is how the disease earned its name. The infection can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain and abdominal lymph nodes, or lead to potentially life-threatening immune-mediated complications. Those internal infections can be difficult to diagnose because samples cannot always be readily collected to confirm the presence of SEE.
Serological testing offers another way to assess exposure to SEE by looking for antibodies against the bacterium in serum, the liquid portion of blood that remains after clotting. Serology can be particularly useful when collecting a sample directly from the site of infection is difficult, such as when the bacterium has spread to an internal organ. It can also help veterinarians determine which horses may have been exposed during an outbreak or assess horses that may be at risk for immune-mediated complications following exposure or vaccination.
Researchers are also interested in whether serology could eventually help identify horses that may carry SEE without showing signs of disease. "Evidence exists that horses can carry SEE without showing clinical signs," Cohen said. "Finding such horses is likely important in controlling the persistence and spread of strangles." The existing serological test that is most commonly used in the United States detects antibodies against a bacterial protein known as SeM.
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