A strep bacteria, commonly found in horses that can lead to strangles, was isolated from two recent cases of high sow and feeder pig mortality in U.S. assembly yards, reports the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC).
Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a commensal organism in horses and is not unusual, says Paul Sundberg, DVM, SHIC executive director.
“But what is unusual is that this strep got into pigs and caused the problems it caused,” Sundberg says. “This strain has also gotten into dogs. There have been kennels that have been depopulated and cleaned because dogs have gotten this particular strep as well. This is a horse strep that has gotten into other species and caused disease.”