15 Aug 2022
Strangvac has been in development for more than 25 years and company says it is the first and only intramuscular vaccine to help protect against strangles, which is caused by <em>Streptococcus equi</em>.
Vet Times
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A protein-based strangles vaccine for horses and ponies that has been in development for more than 25 years has been launched to market by Dechra.
The company said Strangvac is the first and only intramuscular vaccine to help protect against strangles, which is caused by the Streptococcus equi.
Strangvac contains recombinant proteins CCE, Eq85 and IdeE from S equi, and it features DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) capability. The vaccine contains no live bacteria or bacterial DNA, so will not trigger positive culture or PCR tests, a key feature in outbreak management.
The innovative vaccine has received more than €20 million (£16.89 million) of funding since development began in 1995, initially at the AHT and later at Swedish company Intervacc.
Trials have shown the vaccine can protect more than 94% of horses and it reduces the clinical signs of strangles, including a high temperature, coughing, inappetence, difficulty swallowing, and changes in demeanour, while also reducing the number of lymph node abscesses.
The vaccine can be given to foals from five months of age and two injections should be given at a four-week interval. Horses at high risk of S equi infection, such as those in livery, should be revaccinated after two months. Based on measured antibody titres, immunological memory was found in horses following repeated vaccination six months after primary vaccination.
Andrew Waller, chief scientific officer at Intervacc, said: “Strangvac is a ground-breaking new vaccine which, alongside good stable management and biosecurity procedures, can play a really important role in improving herd immunity and reducing the number of strangles cases in the equine population, thereby preventing major economic loss to the equestrian industry.”
Sara Barker, vet and equine field support manager at Dechra, said: “Strangles is highly contagious and is one of the most common equine respiratory diseases, with an estimated 600 outbreaks each year in the UK alone.
“Feared by horse owners due to the potential severity of clinical signs and the infectious nature of strangles, we are sure that the new strangles vaccine will be a vital tool in disease prevention and a huge benefit to the equestrian industry as a whole.”
Full details are available from Dechra territory managers or on the product’s webpage.
