Pigeon Fever, Dryland Strangles, Distemper: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in Horses

  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Cp) is an abscessing disease of horses, sheep, and cattle. It is a gram positive organism that infects and lives in the cells of organisms. It also lives well in the soil particularly in dry environments. It goes by many names depending on location and which form it takes: Pigeon Fever, Dryland Strangles, Equine Distemper. Pigeon Fever is often used because of the propensity of the organism to infect the chest, causing it swell out.

Pigeon Fever (PF) is a disease characterized by large abscesses in the chest muscles, axilla, inguinal area, ventral abdomen, internal organs, or legs. The range of this disease is world wide but in the US the disease has been predominantly in the SW but has been seen throughout the south and recently entering the midwest. The incidence seems to be increasing in the US. Pigeon Fever usually occurs sporadically on farms with an incidence of around 10% of the animals where the infection is endemic (established in the environment). However exposure of susceptible horses, those who have not been exposed before, can result in epidemics. This article discusses transmission, clinical signs, diagnsois, treatment, prognosis, and prevention.

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