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Transboundary and emerging diseases2020; 67(3); 1336-1348; doi: 10.1111/tbed.13475

Serological surveillance and clinical investigation of glanders among indigenous equines in India from 2015 to 2018.

Abstract: Equine glanders is an infectious and notifiable bacterial disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. The disease has been reported in South American, African and Asian countries including India. Here, we present the outcome of glanders serosurveillance carried out between January 2015 and December 2018 to know the status of equine glanders among different states in India. A total of 102,071 equid sera from 299 districts of twenty-one states and one union territory were tested for glanders. Samples were screened with Hcp1 indirect ELISA followed by confirmatory diagnosis by CFT. During this four-year surveillance, a total of 932 glanders-positive cases were detected from 120 districts of 12 states. The study also revealed increasing trend of glanders from 2016 onwards with maximum occurrence in northern India. Overall seroprevalence ranged between 0.62% (95% CI, 0.52-0.72) and 1.145% (95% CI, 1.03-1.25). Seasonal shifting from winter to summer (March to June) coincided with highest number glanders incidence with corresponding seroprevalences of 1.2% (95% CI, 1.09-1.30). The present surveillance unveils territorial ingression of glanders to six states like Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Tamil Nadu. In addition, re-emerging cases have been reported in Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab after a gap of 10 years. Lack of awareness, little veterinary care and unrestricted movement of equids across state borders might have led to the introduction and establishment of the infection to these states. We believe that information from this study will provide a baseline data on glanders for devising surveillance and control strategies in India. Being a zoonotic disease, the persistence of glanders poses a potential threat to occupationally exposed humans especially equine handlers and veterinarians. Therefore, targeted surveillance of human population from each glanders outbreak is also recommended.
© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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Publication Date: 2020-01-28 PubMed ID: 31916415DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13475Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article is about a study that examined the prevalence of glanders, a bacterial disease in horses, in India from 2015 to 2018.

Introduction and Methodology

  • The study is centered around glanders, an infectious bacterial disease affecting horses, caused by Burkholderia mallei. The disease is notifiable and has been reported in South America, Africa, Asia, and India.
  • The researchers carried out glanders serosurveillance from January 2015 to December 2018 to assess the presence of equine glanders across different states in India.
  • A large volume of equid (horse family) sera, totaling 102,071, were collected from 299 districts in 21 states and one union territory in India and tested for the presence of glanders.
  • The researchers employed a two-step diagnostic process, initially screening samples using an Hcp1 indirect ELISA, followed by a confirmatory diagnosis by CFT (Complement Fixation Test).

Findings

  • The surveillance over the four-year period identified 932 glanders-positive cases from 120 districts in 12 states. This reveals that the disease has been increasing in occurrence from 2016 and is most prevalent in northern India.
  • The researchers noted a shift in the peak incidence of glanders from winter to summer months – March through June – which recorded the highest number of glanders cases and a corresponding seroprevalence rate of 1.2% (a measure of the level of a pathogen in a population, as measured in blood serum).
  • This study identifies new territories in India reporting glanders, including six states, namely Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Punjab are seeing resurgence of cases after a gap of 10 years.

Significance

  • The spread and reintroduction of glanders in certain states is attributed to factors such as lack of awareness, inadequate veterinary care, and unrestricted movement of equids, which have allowed for the establishment of the infection.
  • The data collected through this study is considered vital for formulating surveillance and control strategies for glanders within the Indian context.
  • As glanders constitutes a potential threat not only to equines but also to humans, particularly those handling horses and veterinarians, the study underscores the importance of targeted surveillance of human populations within each glanders outbreak area.

Cite This Article

APA
Singha H, Shanmugasundaram K, Tripathi BN, Saini S, Khurana SK, Kanani A, Shah N, Mital A, Kanwar P, Bhatt L, Limaye V, Khasa V, Arora R, Gupta S, Sangha S, Sharma H, Agarwal SK, Tapase J, Parnam S, Dubey P, Baalasundaram SK, Mandal BN, Virmani N, Gulati BR, Malik P. (2020). Serological surveillance and clinical investigation of glanders among indigenous equines in India from 2015 to 2018. Transbound Emerg Dis, 67(3), 1336-1348. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13475

Publication

Transboundary and emerging diseases
ISSN: 1865-1682
NlmUniqueID: 101319538
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 67
Issue: 3
Pages: 1336-1348

Researcher Affiliations

Singha, Harisankar
  • ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Shanmugasundaram, Karuppusamy
  • ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Tripathi, Bhupendra Nath
  • ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Saini, Sheetal
  • ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Khurana, Sandip Kumar
  • ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India.
Kanani, Amit
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ahmedabad, India.
Shah, Nisha
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ahmedabad, India.
Mital, Anupam
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Shimla, India.
Kanwar, Pooja
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Shimla, India.
Bhatt, Lenin
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Jaipur, India.
Limaye, Vinayak
  • Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, West Zone, Department of Animal Husbandry, Pune, India.
Khasa, Vipin
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Sonepat, India.
Arora, Rajesh
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Talabtillo, India.
Gupta, Sanjay
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Talabtillo, India.
Sangha, Shivani
  • Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, North Zone, Department of Animal Husbandry, Jalandhar, India.
Sharma, Himanshu
  • Department of Animal Husbandry, Shamli, India.
Agarwal, Sharad Kumar
  • Directorates of Animal Husbandry, Lucknow, India.
Tapase, Jayant
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Bhopal, India.
Parnam, Sunil
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Bhopal, India.
Dubey, Prasoon
  • State Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry, Rishikesh, India.
Baalasundaram, Satya K
  • Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterinary Hospital Complex Palam, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Mandal, Baidya Nath
  • ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
Virmani, Nitin
  • ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Gulati, Baldev Raj
  • ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India.
Malik, Praveen
  • CCS National Institute of Animal Health (DAHD, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt of India), Baghpat, India.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Burkholderia mallei
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Glanders / epidemiology
  • Glanders / pathology
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • India / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Zoonoses / epidemiology

Grant Funding

  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research

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