Glanders

Glanders, first described by Aristotle in 330 BC, is an airborne bacterial disease that causes boils to break out on animals and humans. It is generally spread by flies, and is still found in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Although usually spread naturally by ingestion of contaminated food or water, it can be spread in aerosol form, making it useful as a biological weapon. It has an incubation period of 3 to 5 days.

The disease is caused by Pseudomonas mallei (Actinobacillus mallei), a bacteria that is common to horse and some other mammals in Asia and Mediterranean areas but rare in North America. The disease is most often spread from the infectious discharges of wounds and mucus membranes which through one route or another are then ingested.

Symptoms include cough and nasal discharge from the pulmonary form of this disease. The coetaneous form is marked by multiple, purulent, coetaneous eruptions, often following lymphatic. The fatality rate in humans is 95 percent if left untreated.

Treatment is generally carried out with a combination of streptomycin and tetracycline or chloramphenicol and streptomycin.

Because it can be spread by contact, care must be taken to avoid sick animals. Gloves and protective clothing are called for when handling infected animals or in treating patients.