Case of strangles puts barn at Mahoning Valley under quarantine

A barn at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Youngstown, Ohio, has been placed under quarantine after a horse at the track tested positive for strangles, a highly contagious bacterial infection of the upper airway, according to a notice distributed on Tuesday by a Kentucky agricultural official.

The horse that tested positive has been “isolated offsite,” according to the notice, which was written by Rusty Ford, an official with the Kentucky state veterinarian’s office. The barn where the horse was stabled, which has approximately 75 stalls, has been placed under quarantine. Several horses in the barn had elevated temperatures on Tuesday morning and were being tested for the infection, according to the notice.

Mahoning Valley officials did not pick up phone calls to the track late on Tuesday afternoon, and a representative of the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association did not immediately return phone calls.

According to the notice, which cited conversations with Mahoning officials on Tuesday morning, the track is still allowing horses to ship in and ship out. Ship-ins are being stabled in the receiving barn, the notice said.

“[Kentucky] horsemen shipping to Mahoning Valley for race and return should be mindful of the disease event and understand the status of race/return could change without notice and the quarantine area could be expanded,” the notice said.

While highly contagious, strangles is typically treatable without serious setbacks.

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