A study by Dr. Anneli Ryden, faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden, examined the ability of Streptococcus equi bacteria to survive on various surfaces following a mix of cleaning and sanitation procedures.
S. equi causes strangles in horses, a highly transmissible infection that can be shared not just via direct, nose-to-nose contact, but also through contaminated surfaces and equipment. Prior studies had noted that survival of the bacteria was between 34 to 72 days in the environment. Weather also greatly affects how long the bacteria is viable; the colder the temperature, the longer the bacteria survives. In summer, bacteria survival can go down to just one to three days.
The study examined how untreated wood, plastic water buckets, concrete tiles, leather and synthetic halters, and leather gloves were cleaned after being inoculated with S. equi.
The team infected the materials with S. equi and sampled them for the bacteria three days later. Some pieces were then cleaned and sanitized. Sanitization was one minute of scrubbing in lukewarm water and letting an alcohol ethoxylate detergent sit on the material for 10 minutes, then rinsing it with tap water. Two hours later the materials were soaked in disinfectant and left to sit. Two days after that, all materials were again evaluated for the presence of S. equi.
Twenty four polyester-webbed halters were treated in different ways: 16 were washed for 39 minutes in water that was 1040 degrees F: eight were then air dried and eight ere tumble dried for an hour at 1590 degrees F. The remaining eight halters were washed at 1400 degrees F for 43 minutes. All halters were then left for three days.
After this procedure, the study found:
- Leather halters and gloves did not have S. equi bacteria five days after being exposed, even without cleaning and sanitizing.
- All materials that were cleaned and sanitized were negative for S. equi except for the polyester-webbed halters that were washed at the 1040 degrees F and tumble dried. The researchers believe this is related to how easily the material absorbs and retains moisture.
- Polyester-webbed halters washed at the higher temperature (1040 degrees F) cultured negative.
- S. equi can be removed from textured surfaces like concrete and unfinished wood.
The scientists noted that the study was performed indoors at a constant temperature. Ambient temperatures may have affected the ability of S. equi to survive. They note that more-intensive sanitization procedures are important to control S. equi infections.
Read more at EquiManagement.
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