Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First glanders cases detected in Nepal underscore the need for surveillance and border controls.
- Journal:
- BMC veterinary research
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- P, Koirala et al.
- Affiliation:
- Central Veterinary Laboratory
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Recently, cases of glanders, a serious disease that can affect both horses and humans, were found in Nepal for the first time. After noticing signs of illness in several animals, tests were done on blood samples from horses and a mule, revealing that two horses and the mule were definitely infected. Additional tests confirmed the presence of the bacteria responsible for glanders in these animals. The findings suggest that the strain of bacteria is similar to those found in India, highlighting the importance of monitoring animal health and controlling animal movement at the borders to prevent further spread.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Glanders is a transmissible zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei that infects equids and humans. No glanders cases in equids were reported so far in Nepal. CASE PRESENTATION: Following suspected glanders in animals with clinical signs in different regions in Nepal, serum samples were tested by CFT, ELISA and Luminex® tests. Two horses and a mule tested positive for glanders by all tests, while two other equids only tested positive by ELISA and Luminex®. Analysis of swabs and pus samples by a PCR system targeting B. mallei confirmed the presence of the bacterium in the samples collected from the 3 equids that yielded positive results in all serological tests. Genotyping of the three PCR positive samples with a SNP-based method identified a genotype closely related to the B. mallei strains circulating in India. CONCLUSION: Confirmation of glanders cases underscores the need of implementing a surveillance program in Nepal and a strict control of the animal movement across the borders.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35387664/