Owners have been reminded of the need to be vigilant and take action after a “significant” increase in strangles cases.

The Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES) network, which collects reports of diagnoses from laboratories and vet practices, confirmed that more than 370 cases have been diagnosed in 2025, compared to the annual UK average of about 300. This has sparked new calls for equestrians to increase biosecurity and consider vaccination to minimise spread.

Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) monitors diagnoses reported to SES; a spokesperson for the group said the data shows the number of cases this year is “significantly higher” than in 2023 and 2024, “indicating a genuine increase rather than normal year-to-year variation”.

Dr Richard Newton of EIDS said, “These fi

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