Glanders: What You Should Know

While glanders is no longer present in South Africa, it is still found in other regions and can be brought back into the country through the importation of equines, says Dr Mac.

- Dr Mac

Glanders was a problem in South Africa long before the Anglo-Boer War, but was nearly eradicated through quarantine, movement control and a slaughter-out policy promulgated in 1884. Despite these measures, armed conflict and cavalry movement caused the disease to become epidemic in equines by 1902. It was finally eradicated after peace was declared. While South Africa remains free of glanders, the disease remains on the list of controlled diseases in equines (see FW, 14 June). All imported equines must be certified negative, as glanders is still found in South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and parts of Africa. One of the reasons it is so difficult to eradicate is that the incubation period can be up to six months.

SIGNS OF DISEASE

Glanders, which is caused by the bacteria