Glanders

Glanders, highly contagious febrile disease of horses, donkeys, and mules, sometimes transmitted to other animals and humans. Glanders, also known as equinia, attacks the mucous membranes and lymphatic system in animals. The disease is characterized by ulceration of the nose, involving the cartilage and bone, with a sticky discharge. Advanced cases involve the liver, spleen, and respiratory system. Swollen lymph nodes, called farcy buds, appear beneath the skin, especially of the legs, and later ulcerate.

Public health measures have made equine glanders in humans rare in the United States and Canada, with nearly all cases occurring among veterinarians, farmers, and horse handlers. Glanders can be transmitted from human to human. The disease organism, Pseudomonas mallei, usually is introduced through a break in the skin. After an incubation period of from three to five days, headache, chills, fever, and vomiting occur, and farcy buds may appear. If untreated, the disease may be fatal within two to three weeks. The disease is treated with antibiotics as well as with medications that relieve the symptoms.