Contagious respiratory disease, also called Strangles, has prompted some fall fairs across Ontario to cancel their horse shows hoping to avoid spreading the disease amongst competitors.
Why it matters: Cancelling of the horse shows can create economic loss for agricultural societies across the province.
Cancellations have been more localized to southwestern Ontario including Grey-Bruce fairs such as Tara, Wiarton, Chesley and Mildmay, as well as other fairs in Mount Forest, Collingwood, Orangeville and Stratford.
“Each of our fairs are their own organizations and strictly our office is the umbrella of all the agricultural societies, they make that decision themselves. I don’t or my co-worker doesn’t say you can’t have a show because of the outbreak,” says Vince Brennan, manager of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies.
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The cancellation may impact the income for these agricultural societies, but Brennan says that for this year this may be the best decision.
“I think it will probably have an impact for a lot of them, but I think at the same time everyone is concerned about biosecurity and they’re doing their part to try and limit the spread of this virus.”
Some horses travel far to attend different shows across the province, so fair shows are not only being cancellied due to possibly local reported viruses but also to ensure horses aren’t bringing the virus into the area.
“If (the horses) are on a show circuit, where they are doing a lot of travelling, they are probably going to be exposed to a lot more horses,” he says.
Strangles is a respiratory disease effecting the upper respiratory tract of horses. The virus causes enlargement of the lymph nodes in the throat — impairing breathing. The disease can easily spread through horse contact and nasal secretions.
Horses can be infected for three weeks before they show clinical signs. Symptoms include swollen glands under the throat, nasal discharge, coughing and trouble breathing as the disease swells lymph nodes. There can be some fever at the start of infection. Antibiotics are an effective treatment.
Although a concern for agricultural societies across the province, out of 214 fairs registered with the OAAS, only a handful have cancelled their horse shows due to this outbreak.
Brennan says that OAAS has not suggested or advised that any agricultural societies should consider cancelling their horse shows due to Strangles. Brennan suggests speaking to a local veterinarian for more information.
