Glanders

Why in News?

Recently, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, issued a revised national action plan on glanders.

• Glanders is a highly contagious and often fatal disease of equines.

Equines are a group of mammals that belong to the family Equidae. Equines are known for their slender legs, hooves, and long faces with large, expressive eyes. Example Horse, Donkey, Mules.

• It can also affect other animals and humans.
• It was caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei.
• Clinical Signs – It causes nodules and ulcerative lesions in the respiratory tract and lungs.
• A distinct cutaneous form, known as ‘farcy’, is also observed, marked by skin nodules and swollen lymph vessels.
• Transmission – Ingestion is the primary route of infection, especially through shared feeding or watering sources.
• It is transmitted to humans through contact with tissues or body fluids of infected animals.
• The bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions in the skin and through mucosal surfaces such as the conjunctiva and nose.
• Symptoms – Fever with chills and sweating, Muscle aches, Chest pain, Muscle tightness, Headache, Nasal discharge, Light sensitivity (sometimes with excessive tearing of the eyes).
• Global Occurrence – It continues to appear sporadically in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South American countries.
• Treatment – Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), A sulphonamide combination.
• Piperacillin-tazobactam is being considered due to emerging resistance.
• Legal Frame work – Recognized as a notifiable disease under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals (PCICDA) Act, 2009.
• It is a listed disease as described in the terrestrial animal health code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
• Recent Revised National Action Plan on Glanders
• Major Revisions
  • Reducing the infected zone from 5 km to 2 km,
  • Redefining the surveillance area as 2-10 km instead of 5-25 km, and
  • Aligning the restrictions accordingly, which will now apply only up to 10 km.
• Enhanced Surveillance & Reporting.
• Strengthened Quarantine & Movement Control Rapid Response Mechanism.
• Capacity Building & Training.
• Public Awareness & Stakeholder Engagement.
• Research & Laboratory Support.

References

1. PIB| Revised Action Plan on Glanders
2. National centre for disease control| Glanders