Сап (Glanders, Equinia)

Glanders (Glanders, Equinia): description, symptoms and treatment

Glanders, also known as glanders or ekinia, is a dangerous infectious disease that affects horses, donkeys, mules and, in rare cases, humans. This disease is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas mallei, which can enter the body through the skin, wounds or mucous membranes.

The main symptoms of the disease are fever and inflammation of the lymph nodes, which can become ulcerated. This form of the disease is called cutaneous glanders (farcy). In addition, inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes of the nose may occur.

If acute glanders is not treated, in most cases the disease ends in death within 2-20 days. Some animals may survive and develop a chronic form of the disease, which may be asymptomatic or with periodic exacerbations.

Treatment for glanders is usually done with antibacterial drugs such as sulfonamides or streptomycin. In the chronic form of the disease, treatment can continue for several months.

Since glanders can be transmitted to humans, including through the skin and mucous membranes, special care must be taken when working with infected animals. People who are at risk of exposure to this bacterium can be vaccinated with a special vaccine to prevent the disease from developing.

Overall, glanders is a serious disease that can be life-threatening to animals and people. However, modern medicine has effective methods for diagnosing and treating this disease, which makes it possible to promptly prevent its spread and save the lives of patients.

Currently, glanders remains a serious problem for veterinary medicine and veterinary and sanitary examination. Despite the development of effective methods of diagnosis, prevention and treatment, the incidence of glanders tends to increase due to repeated outbreaks in other countries. This is an infectious disease that is transmitted from animals to people and affects both domestic and wild animals. If left untreated or improperly diagnosed and treated, it can lead to serious consequences and even death. In this article we will consider the main aspects related to glanders, its clinical picture, diagnostic methods and control of outbreaks of the disease.

Glanders is one of the most contagious infectious diseases of domestic and wild horses. Its causative agent is the bacterium Streptococcus equi, known as “Glanders bacillus”. The virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected horse through direct contact or contact with contaminated soil or water.

The peak incidence occurs during the hunting season, when horses are exposed to heavy workload and come into contact with other animals at watering places. Less commonly, donkeys and mules spread the infection.

Most often, the disease occurs in a mild or acute form and is characterized by:

increased body temperature;

manifestations of whooping cough, bronchopneumonia or bronchitis;

damage to the lymphatic system with concomitant enlargement of the lymph nodes and pain;

mucous membranes and skin acquire a yellowish-red tint; - ulcers may occur under the eyelids, on the tips of the horns, ears, hooves, in the genital area, anus and around them;

with untimely or poor-quality treatment, the development of a disease with serious consequences such as pneumonia, encephalitis, coma, heart failure and death is possible.

The chronological signs of glanders are similar to a number of other infectious diseases - canine distemper, leptospirosis, epizootic hemorrhagic poliomyelitis, Weil's disease, etc., therefore differential diagnosis is necessary. For this purpose, specific tests are used that show antibodies in the animal’s blood serum and saliva, as well as smear analysis - contact tests. Determining antibodies can help determine contacts, transmission of the virus, and disease stages in suckers. In the acute period, the course of treatment usually includes antibiotic therapy with penicillin antibiotics. The prognosis for life is favorable in horses, subject to early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. However, animals with chronic infection have a lower chance of recovery than their healthy peers.