Re-emergence of glanders in India – Report of Maharashtra state.

This research article reports on an outbreak of glanders, a highly contagious disease affecting horses, in the state of Maharashtra, India. The researchers identified the cause of the outbreak and successfully controlled the spread of the disease, averting further spread.

Research Background

• Glanders, a disease primarily affecting equids such as horses, donkeys, and mules, has high potential to spread to humans (zoonotic importance). It’s caused by a gram-negative bacteria called Burkholderia mallei.
• Although glanders had been confined to specific regions in India with only occasional cases, there was a recent significant outbreak that started in Maharashtra, a state in the western part of the country.

Methods of Diagnosis

• The disease was identified in equines located in Pune and Panchgani, regions within Maharashtra.
• Diagnosis was confirmed through laboratory investigations carried out on different types of samples: serum, nasal swabs, and pus swabs from the infected animals.
• These samples confirmed the presence of B. mallei, with isolates found in one pus sample and three nasal swabs.
• The Complement Fixation Test (CFT) was used to identify 23 positive serum samples for glanders.

Control and Prevention

• Following the outbreak, disease control measures were implemented based on the Glanders and Farcy Act, 1899, aimed to prevent the disease from spreading to other regions.
• These measures proved effective, and the researchers confirmed that the disease was successfully controlled within Maharashtra.
• Moreover, subsequent testing and physical surveillance of over 3,500 equines revealed no additional cases of the disease.

Investigations and Conclusions

• The researchers deduced that the origin or “nidus” of the infection could potentially be located in North India, suggesting that surveillance and control efforts should also be focused in this region to prevent future re-emergence of the disease.