ANYONE who's had a horse with STRANGLES...help.

I've owned my filly since she was six months old and she has not ever once been sick or shown any symptoms of respiratory colds/flus. My husband and I recently moved her to a closer boarding facility and 2 weeks later now they all are sick. No horses were ill at the last barn and at the new barn supposedly none of those horses were sick either. But however it happened they are sick and I have some questions about Strangles because I have never seen it among the horse world.

She started off with the runny nose, then really nasty boogers (ft long), never had any swollen submandibular lymph nodes. But a week after all those symptoms cleared up she currently has one swollen middle lymph node by her jaw that's rather large. The original thought was she was having some allergy problems...but obviously that isnt' the case. But she wasn't put on antibiotics. Right now the vet is just watching her and putting topical antiinflammatory meds on the lymph node, which, hasn't helped. This lymph node is rather firm but tender. There's never been any drainage on her, but other horses in the barn have had drainage from submandibular lymphs. I've heard a lot of different things about this condition, but want to hear what any of you all went through with your own personal horses. I understand that it is a respiratory issue but am just mainly concerned with treatments and how to properly disinfect the barn after this is over. Does this bug linger around forever? I was told it stayed in the soil...other places said it doesn't survive well in the environment. I was also told my horse would always be a carrier no matter what I did, I don't know if it is true but it really makes me sad to think I couldn't do something about it. Someone also told me that at this point placing her on antiobiotics could potentially make it worse (Ive read this across the internet to). What are your thoughts?

I want my filly to get better as I feel like I can't do much to help. The vet (who btw is the barn owners own personal vet that we have to use) flushed her glutteral pounches (they weren't even swollen...) the other day without my knowledge. It doesn't excuse my not knowing they did it, but I have read that could be beneficial. She didn't have anything come out of them though (visible to the eye) except the lactated ringers solution they flushed them with.

My MAIN concern is getting her feeling better and how to rid her of being a "carrier". Angel is going to be my dressage horse starting in about a year and I do NOT want to put any horses though what she went through. Obviously in the show world there would be horses around her everywhere. I'm just really unknowlegable about this in horses...which bothers me because I am a nurse and know about all kinds of human respiratory issues. All thoughts and experiences are GREATLY appreciated!