News: The Delhi High Court has asked municipal bodies to take steps to prevent spread of glanders disease in animals.
Facts:
- Glanders: It is an infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei.It is primarily a disease affecting horses, but it also affects donkeys, mules, goats, dogs and cats.
- Symptoms: Fever with chills and sweating, Muscle aches, Chest pain , Muscle tightness, Headache, Nasal discharge among others.
- Transmission:
- The bacteria that cause glanders are transmitted to humans through contact with tissues or body fluids of infected animals.
- It may also be inhaled via infected aerosols or dust contaminated by infected animals. Sporadic cases have been documented in veterinarians, horse caretakers, and laboratorians.
- Prevention: Presently, there is no vaccine available for glanders.In countries where glanders is endemic in animals, prevention of the disease in humans involves identification and elimination of the infection in the animal population.
