Saratoga Springs, NY (WRGB) -- A barn at Saratoga Race Course has been placed under a 14-day precautionary quarantine following a confirmed case of strangles, a contagious equine respiratory disease.
According to the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Barn 85 -- which houses horses trained by Jeremiah Englehart and Jorge Abreu -- was quarantined in coordination with the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) and the New York State Department of Agriculture.
The infected horse, a 2-year-old named Tranquil Sea trained by Englehart, began exhibiting breathing issues earlier in the week and was referred to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. After undergoing testing, the horse returned a positive result for strangles on Friday morning and is currently receiving treatment at the facility.
Strangles, caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi, affects a horse's upper respiratory tract and presents symptoms similar to strep throat in humans -- such as fever, nasal discharge, and swelling of lymph nodes. Though highly contagious, strangles is generally not life-threatening when diagnosed early and treated properly.
Following the positive result, NYRA implemented standard infectious disease protocols:
These measures are being overseen by Dr. Sarah Hinchliffe, NYRA's director of veterinary medicine, in consultation with the NYSGC.
Although trainer Jorge Abreu also has horses in nearby Barn 86, NYRA confirms that only Barn 85 is impacted. Horses from Barn 85 will not be allowed to race or train with the general horse population during the quarantine. Afebrile and asymptomatic horses will be permitted to train separately on the Oklahoma Training Track after 10 AM.
As of Friday morning, three additional febrile horses in Barn 85 have been identified and are being removed from the property for further evaluation.
NYRA stated that they will provide additional updates as needed.