The disease, which is caused by bacteria, infects horses, mules and donkeys and can also be transmitted to other animals and humans
After seven horses in Maharashtra, including one in Thane, were detected with the fatal Glanders disease, the state government is on an alert to prevent its transmission to animals and humans. Kantilal Umap, commissioner, animal husbandry, told DNA that of the 841 blood samples from across the state collected by them since last month, a total of seven had tested positive. This includes one each in Thane and Ahmednagar and five in Akola district. The disease, which is caused by bacteria, infects horses, mules and donkeys and can also be transmitted to other animals and humans.
"We have imposed a ban on transporting horses from these three districts to other areas. This curb will stay as long as all samples test negative and the infection is expected to abate in around two to three months time. Until then, quarantine procedures will have to be followed. These curbs have been imposed vide the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009," he said, adding that the seven infected horses would be euthanised.
Umap stressed that the situation was under control with no cause for alarm. A senior animal husbandry department official said they had isolated a horse in Thane who was suspected to be affected by Glanders and had kept it under observation.
Officials said they had collected samples from horses which were in a 5km periphery of the infected animals, were used for draught purposes or transport from one place to another, or were in proximity with human beings. The animal husbandry staff is co-ordinating with the public health department to prevent transmission of the infection to human beings.
"This is a highly fatal and contagious disease. The infected horse must be isolated as otherwise, it will spread the infection to other equines in the area," said veternerian Dr Shailesh Pethe. Though Glanders is a zoonotic disease and can spread from animals to humans, Pethe said there were rare cases of the transmission of such infection though textbook references existed. Maharashtra has seen sporadic outbreaks of Glanders in 2012, 2006 and 2004 and officials said incidences of these diseases had come down over the years.
WHAT IS GLANDERS?
Glanders is caused by the urkholderia mallei bacteria. It infects animals via infected feed, water, skin infections, and other infected animals.
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