Glanders

Glanders



Basic Information image



Definition


A disease of horses caused by infection with the bacteria Burkholderia mallei that may affect the skin, nasal passages, or lungs



Synonym(S)


Farcy (cutaneous form)



Epidemiology



Species, Age, Sex




• Horses, donkeys, and mules are affected.


• Occasional cases are seen in cats, dogs, goats, sheep, and camels.


• Carnivores may be infected from ingestion of contaminated meat.



Risk Factors


Poor sanitation, crowding, immunosuppression



Contagion and Zoonosis




• Rare but serious zoonotic disease


• Enters via cutaneous exposure


• Cutaneous and systemic infections occur with mortality that may approach 95% in untreated humans



Geography and Seasonality




• Restricted to Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and South America


• Endemic in some countries, including Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Mongolia, and China


• Eradicated from Europe, Australia, and North America



Clinical Presentation



Disease Forms/Subtypes




• Cutaneous form


• Nasal form


• Acute pulmonary form



History, Chief Complaint




• Cutaneous swellings, erosions, ulcerations with exudate


• Lymphatic cording


• Depression, inappetence


• Dyspnea, nasal discharge, increased respiratory rate


image

FIGURE 1 Nasal exudate in a horse with glanders.


(From Sellon DC, Long MT: Equine infectious diseases. St Louis, 2007, Saunders Elsevier.)


image

FIGURE 2 Swollen sheath in horse with orchitis caused by glanders.


(From Sellon DC, Long MT: Equine infectious diseases. St Louis, 2007, Saunders Elsevier.)



Physical Exam Findings




• Cutaneous form (“farcy”): Nodules with subsequent development of ulcers and exudation. Swollen lymphatic vessels with cording and development of “farcy buds” that enlarge, ulcerate, and drain.


• Nasal form: Nodules on nasal septum develop into stellate scars with purulent nasal discharge. These may obstruct the nasopharynx with severe dyspnea.


• Acute pulmonary form: High fever, bronchopneumonia

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Jul 24, 2016 | Posted by in SMALL ANIMAL | Comments Off on Glanders

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