If the past few weeks have been about various strains of fungi that affect humans in the second wave of COVID-19, a potent bacteria is in the news now. After a gap of some years, two horses have tested positive for Glanders, a highly contagious bacterial disease, in Jhajjar, Haryana.
Glanders is a notifiable disease, and only officials of the Animal Husbandry department are allowed to send samples to the National Equine Research Centre, Hisar.
There is a risk of this incurable disease spreading from animals to humans too. The last big outbreak was in 2016-17 and it cut through the northern plains and hills, besides Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
“Horses, donkeys and mules in the district are routinely tested for various diseases, and two of 143 horses whose samples were sent to Hisar tested positive for Glanders,” Praveen Kumar, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Jhajjar, told Gaon Connection.
Glanders is said to be an incurable contagious zoonotic disease that can be life-threatening. To prevent the spread of infection, the animals are sometimes put to sleep or euthanised.
“The bacteria that causes Glanders can be transmitted to humans through contact with tissues or body fluids of infected animals,” Kumar said. “Consequently, those who own horses and donkeys have been advised to take adequate precautions,” he added.
What causes Glanders?
Glanders is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei that infects horses, donkeys and mules. It is feared that if a cattle herder comes into contact with an animal with Glanders, it may spread to humans.
Non-profit Brooke India, which works for the welfare of working horses and donkeys, has been engaged in protecting horses, donkeys, and mules against Glanders disease for several years now. Nidesh Bhardwaj, head of animal health and animal welfare at Brooke India, told Gaon Connection that Glanders can spread when an infected animal is near other animals or shares feed or drinking water.
“In horses, it is usually asymptomatic and act as carriers, while donkeys and mules show rapid symptoms and die within a few days,” Bhardwaj pointed out.
The disease begins as a watery discharge from the nose that turns dark yellow. The animals also develop fever and, in some cases, ulcers inside the nose. The animal wastes away. Sometimes, nodules form on the body, and when they rupture, the wounds don’t heal, Bharadwaj added.
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Dealing with Glanders
Doctors advise that animals that show symptoms of Glanders must be isolated. They should be provided with food and water, and any unconsumed fodder must be discarded.
Only one person from a household should be exposed to the infected animal, and this person should not have any injury or wound on the hand. Once the animal dies, it should be buried in a deep pit. Other animals in the vicinity must be checked for symptoms.
Doctors also said that humans should not touch the nodules or wounds on the nose or body of the animal. They should sanitise their hands with soap and water after feeding an infected animal. The animal’s shed should be thoroughly cleaned.
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Compensation
Owners of animals that are euthanised receive government compensation — Rs 25,000 for a horse and Rs 16,000 for a donkeys or mule. Donkeys and mules die within a week or 10 days after contracting the disease, but infected horses can survive for many months. Antibiotics alleviate their symptoms, but the condition recurs once medication is stopped.
Declining animal population
The news of Glanders has thrown the spotlight again on the declining population of donkeys, mules and horses. There has been a considerable drop in equine population over the years.
According to the 19th Animal Census 2012, the country’s horse and pony population was 0.6 million, donkey population was 0.3 million, and mules numbered 0.2 million. In the 20th Animal Census 2017, horses and ponies had reduced to 0.3 million and donkeys to 0.1 million. Mules remained at 0.2 million.
Read the original story in Hindi here.
