- Infectious Diseases of Livestock
- Part 3
- Glanders
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: SPIROCHAETES
- Swine dysentery
- Borrelia theileri infection
- Borrelia suilla infection
- Lyme disease in livestock
- Leptospirosis
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: AEROBIC ⁄ MICRO-AEROPHILIC, MOTILE, HELICAL ⁄ VIBROID GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA
- Genital campylobacteriosis in cattle
- Proliferative enteropathies of pigs
- Campylobacter jejuni infection
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: GRAM-NEGATIVE AEROBIC OR CAPNOPHILIC RODS AND COCCI
- Moraxella spp. infections
- Bordetella bronchiseptica infections
- Pseudomonas spp. infections
- Glanders
- Melioidosis
- Brucella spp. infections
- Bovine brucellosis
- Brucella ovis infection
- Brucella melitensis infection
- Brucella suis infection
- Brucella infections in terrestrial wildlife
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC GRAM NEGATIVE RODS
- Klebsiella spp. infections
- Escherichia coli infections
- Salmonella spp. infections
- Bovine salmonellosis
- Ovine and caprine salmonellosis
- Porcine salmonellosis
- Equine salmonellosis
- Yersinia spp. infections
- Haemophilus and Histophilus spp. infections
- Haemophilus parasuis infection
- Histophilus somni disease complex in cattle
- Actinobacillus spp. infections
- infections
- Actinobacillus equuli infections
- Gram-negative pleomorphic infections: Actinobacillus seminis, Histophilus ovis and Histophilus somni
- Porcine pleuropneumonia
- Actinobacillus suis infections
- Pasteurella and Mannheimia spp. infections
- Pneumonic mannheimiosis and pasteurellosis of cattle
- Haemorrhagic septicaemia
- Pasteurellosis in sheep and goats
- Porcine pasteurellosis
- Progressive atrophic rhinitis
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: ANAEROBIC GRAM-NEGATIVE, IRREGULAR RODS
- Fusobacterium necrophorum, Dichelobacter (Bacteroides) nodosus and Bacteroides spp. infections
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: GRAM-POSITIVE COCCI
- Staphylococcus spp. infections
- Staphylococcus aureus infections
- Exudative epidermitis
- Other Staphylococcus spp. infections
- Streptococcus spp. infections
- Strangles
- Streptococcus suis infections
- Streptococcus porcinus infections
- Other Streptococcus spp. infections
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: ENDOSPORE-FORMING GRAM-POSITIVE RODS AND COCCI
- Anthrax
- Clostridium perfringens group infections
- Clostridium perfringens type A infections
- Clostridium perfringens type B infections
- Clostridium perfringens type C infections
- Clostridium perfringens type D infections
- Malignant oedema⁄gas gangrene group of Clostridium spp.
- Clostridium chauvoei infections
- Clostridium novyi infections
- Clostridium septicum infections
- Other clostridial infections
- Tetanus
- Botulism
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: REGULAR, NON-SPORING, GRAM-POSITIVE RODS
- Listeriosis
- Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infections
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: IRREGULAR, NON-SPORING, GRAM-POSITIVE RODS
- Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infections
- Corynebacterium renale group infections
- Bolo disease
- Actinomyces bovis infections
- Trueperella pyogenes infections
- Actinobaculum suis infections
- Actinomyces hyovaginalis infections
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: MYCOBACTERIA
- Tuberculosis
- Paratuberculosis
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: ACTINOMYCETES
- Nocardiosis
- Rhodococcus equi infections
- Dermatophilosis
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION: MOLLICUTES
- Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
- Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
- Mycoplasmal pneumonia of pigs
- Mycoplasmal polyserositis and arthritis of pigs
- Mycoplasmal arthritis of pigs
- Bovine genital mycoplasmosis
- Neurotoxin-producing group of Clostridium spp.
- Contagious equine metritis
- Tyzzer's disease
- MYCOTIC AND ALGAL DISEASES: Mycoses
- MYCOTIC AND ALGAL DISEASES: Pneumocystosis
- MYCOTIC AND ALGAL DISEASES: Protothecosis and other algal diseases
- DISEASE COMPLEXES / UNKNOWN AETIOLOGY: Epivag
- DISEASE COMPLEXES / UNKNOWN AETIOLOGY: Ulcerative balanoposthitis and vulvovaginitis of sheep
- DISEASE COMPLEXES / UNKNOWN AETIOLOGY: Ill thrift
- Eperythrozoonosis
- Bovine haemobartonellosis
Glanders
This content is distributed under the following licence: Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC View Creative Commons Licence details here

Introduction
Glanders is a contagious disease primarily of solipeds caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. It is characterized by nodules, ulcers and the formation of scars, particularly in the upper respiratory tract, lungs, skin, and less frequently in other organs. It may occur in an acute or chronic form, is usually fatal and is of major importance in any infected equine population. Glanders once occurred extensively throughout the world, including South Africa. At present it occurs only sporadically in eastern European countries, North Africa,14 and Asia (including India,16 Iran,4 Pakistan,15 Turkey1 and China12). It is a zoonosis.
Glanders was already recognized in 400 BC by Hippocrates, and a century later by Aristotle.8, 9 The bacterium was first isolated by Loeffler and Schütz in 1882, but it was only four years later that Loeffler demonstrated beyond doubt that it was the cause of glanders. During 1891 and 1892, no less than seven European scientists died of the disease following accidental laboratory infection.8
Glanders was spread by animal movements through trade or war to most countries of the world.8 Henning9 expressed uncertainty about the way in which it was introduced into South Africa, but in his review of the disease, Hunting8 mentions that during the Anglo-Boer War (1899 to 1902), in which 240 000 horses perished, South Africa was plagued by the spread of glanders throughout the entire country. According to Hunting, the disease was introduced into South Africa by remounts imported from the UK, America and Australia, and possibly also from Europe. Eventually, in 1929, glanders was restricted to the Cape Peninsula, from which it was eradicated soon afterwards by application of a slaughter-out policy (Figure 142.1 and Figure 142.2). This control measure and the use of the mallein test for diagnostic purposes were the major reasons for the successful eradication of the disease.
Glanders is unlikely to assume any great significance in southern Africa unless the pathogen is reintroduced under circumstances where large numbers of horses or other solipeds are kept under unsanitary conditions.
Aetiology
Burkholderia mallei (syn. Pseudomonas mallei, Actinobacillus mallei, Malleomyces mallei and Pfeifferella mallei) is a Gram-negative, non-motile, non-encapsulated and nonspore- forming bacillus5 which is obligately aerobic (except in media containing nitrate), is nutritionally versatile and does not require special growth factors. The best growth of B. mallei is obtained at 37 °C. Potato media are particularly suited for its cultivation.9 In vitro DNA hybridization experiments suggest a close relationship to B. pseudomallei, the causative organism of false glanders or melioidosis (see Melioidosis).
The bacterium is not very resistant against external factors. It is destroyed by exposure to direct sunlight within 24 hours and is killed by most of the common disinfectants, e.g. phenol, potassium permanganate, copper sulphate, formalin and chlorine. In damp media the organism retains its vitality for three to five weeks and in decomposing material for 20 to 30 days. It may survive for about 20 days in clean water and for about six weeks in contaminated stables.9, 14
Little is known about the virulence factors of B. mallei. A recent study demonstrated that capsular polysaccharide is a major virulence factor and the capsule may prevent efficient clearance of the bacterium by the host immune system.6
Epidemiology
Underfed animals and those kept under unhygienic environments are more susceptible than animals that are healthy and well-cared for. Humans are also highly susceptible; the disease sometimes affects laboratory workers, veterinarians, horse caretakers and slaughterhouse employees who are in intimate contact with affected horses or the organism.
The natural disease occurs primarily in domestic equids and only occasionally in carnivores, rodents, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and humans.13, 14 All species of domestic equids are highly susceptible. Donkeys are apparently the most susceptible and frequently develop the acute form of the disease.9 Horses are more resistant and commonly contract the chronic form. Mules occupy an intermediate position.
In acute glanders, the pathogen may be distributed throughout the body, whereas in chronic cases the organism appears to be confined to the affected organs and exudates from lesions. Although the urine, saliva, tears and faeces may be contaminated, nasal discharges and the pus from cutaneous ulcers are the most infective. The mode of infection is unclear, but it generally appears to result from contaminated food or water. Outbreaks of the disease are usually favoured where several animals are kept together and share feeding places and water troughs. The occurrence of glanders in lions in an Italian zoological park was traced back to contaminated meat originating from horses which were imported.3, 9
Figure 142.1 and 142.2 Historic photographs depicting mass slaughter of a herd of horses and burning of carcasses during the glanders eradication campaign in the 1920s in South Africa
The frequency of lung involvement has led to the speculation that aerogenous infection is important, yet most attempts to produce chronic...
To see the full item, register today: