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An epidemiology investigation continues at Ellis Park in Henderson County after a horse there came down with a suspected case of equine strangles disease, a bacteriological infection found in horses. Symptoms of strangles include fever, breathing difficulties and swelling of the lymph nodes. The illness does not affect human beings.
The horse, a four year old filly, was isolated from contact with the other horses in the barn after a fever was detected late last week. She was then taken from the track to a private quarantine facility on Monday, July 4. Preliminary investigation indicates that she arrived at Ellis Park from Prairie Meadows, a track in Altoona, Iowa.
Rusty Ford, Equine Programs Manager for KDA's Animal Health Division says he is optimistic that the horse was removed from the track before she entered an infectious state. As of this morning (July 7), none of the other horses in the affected barn had presented any symptoms, but the barn had been placed under state quarantine while the investigation continues. Each horse will undergo a three-part series of tests to determine whether it has contracted the disease. Samples were collected from each horse Thursday morning.
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