Closed petition Make Strangles in Equines a notifiable disease in the UK

Closed on 22 November 2023

I would like the Government to make Equine Strangles a notifiable disease within the UK, so that positive cases must be reported to DEFRA, making it easier to contain this disease and prevent it’s spread, so that owners of equines can keep their animals safe and healthy.

Strangles is a disease of the lymph nodes of the upper respiratory tract in horses. Affected horses can have a high temperature, cough, poor appetite, nasal discharge, swollen or abscessed lymph nodes of the head or even open sores. Strangles can be fatal if the bacteria spreads to other parts of the body or the respiratory tract is blocked by swollen lymph nodes. As this is not notifiable, infected horses can still travel/compete, without restrictions and thus spread it to unsuspecting individuals.