Why Polyester Halters Are A Biosecurity Hazard

 
Research shows that the bacteria responsible for strangles were more likely to persist on polyesterwebbing halters than on leather ones.
Anyone who has dealt with a strangles outbreak knows the importance of biosecurityincluding cleaning items of tackin curbing the spread of the disease. While routine cleaning kills the causal bacteria on most surfaces a new study from Sweden shows that extra effort is required to sanitize halters and other gear made of polyester webbing.
How strangles spreads

Strangles is the common name for a systemic infection caused by Streptococcus equi spp. equi bacteria. Affected horses can show a variety of clinical signs including fever nasal discharge and swollen or abscessed lymph nodes under the jaw. Infected horses may also show no clinical signs but still harbor and spread the bacteria for weeks. Quarantine of new horses and disinfection of surfaces can reduce the risk of outbreak or contain one that has already begun.
Horses infected with Streptococcus equi may show no clinical signs but spread the bacteria for weeks. Adobe Stock
To investigate the efficacy of various cleaning techniques in eliminating bacteria researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences inoculated wood concrete plastic leather halters leather gloves and polyester webbing halters with S. equi and three days later testing confirmed the presence of the bacteria on the items. Three days after that the items were cleaned using various techniques. Two days later the items were retested for S. equi.
Where bacteria survived longest
The researchers found that the bacteria were most likely to survive on nylon halters persisting even when the items were washed in conventionally hot 104 degree F water and tumble dried on the highest temperature setting 158 degrees F for an hour. After this process 14 of the 16 halters still tested positive for S. equi. However when the nylon halters were