It is highly contagious fatal zoonotic disease of slipped (horse, mule, and donkey) has 2 forms acute and chronic and characterized by nodules and ulcers on the respiratory tract and on skin, its important in equine population and human beings .

Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) mallei is the causative organism. Gram negative ,polymorphic , nonspore, nonmotile, non capsulated, and non flagella ,the bacteria disteroid by light ,heat ,and disinfectant.

Glanders is restricted geographically to Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, Asia, and North Africa. It was more widespread but has been eradicated from most countries Glanders was an important disease when there were large concentrations of horses in cities and armies, but now has sporadic occurrence, even in infected areas.

.

The disease in Iraq is enzootic from many years. Horses with badly feed and and poor environment are

highly susceptible and horse, mule, donkey,are species common effected.

Mules and donkeys develop the acute form while in horses the chronic form.

Carnivorous including lions and cuts become infected by eating infected meat while sheep, Goats, cattle, and swine are resistant.

Human beings are highly susceptible and fetal cases occur in people

Working in laboratories or contact with the infected animals.and when the infection in man enter through the skin wounds and abrasion produce granulomatous disease

1)infected animals or recovered carrier are the main source of infection

2)oral and nasal secretion which contain bacteria from rupture nodules

3)pus from skin.

1)ingestion of contaminated food and water.

2)skin wound contaminated by direct contact with infected material

3)inhalation but it is rarely.

Highly mortality rate and complete recovery is an common and rarely.

The incubation period is 2 weeks may be less or more

In Acute form High fever, coughing ,nasal discharge , ulcer on the nasal mucosa and nodules on skin and other part of the body then death duo to septicemia.

While in chronic form animal are usually ill for several months then death.

Pulmonary form

There is chronic coughing ,frequent epistaxis, and lobulated respiration

Usually nasal and cutaneous form occur together ,the nasal lesion appear on nasal septum then the lesion become nodules 1 cm in diameter and develop confluent ulcers and in the early stage there is unilateral serous nasal discharge then become purulent stain with blood.

The sub maxillary L.N become enlargement and on healing the ulcer replaced by a characteristic stellate scar tissue in nasal septum

This form characterized by appearance of subcutaneous nodules 1-2 cm in diameter which is become ulcer and dark honey pus discharge.

In some cases the nodules are very deep and discharge through fistula tract,thelymphatic vesselsd and lymph nodes drainage .

D.DIAGNOSIS

1-Sever strangles

2-Epizoitic lymphangitis

3-ulserative lympangitis

4-sporotrichosis

5-pneomonia

Diagnosis

1-Mallein test :The intradermopalpebraltest has largely displaced the ophthalmic and SC tests. Mallein (0. 1 mL) is injected intradermally into the lower eyelid with a tuberculin syringe. The test is read at

48 h, a positive reaction comprising marked edema of the lid with blepharospasm and a severe, purulent conjunctivitis's Some infected animals exhibit a general hypersensitivity reaction after inoculation.

2-Bacterial Isolation by swab from unopened nodules for culture.

3-Serological tests. The CFT is the most accurate of the serological tests

available, and the usual official test, but some strains of B. mallei give cross

reactions with B. pseudomallei. The serological test must be used after 6 weeks of

mallein test 4-straus test there is pus from infected animal injected

i.p to genia pigs the positive reaction is inflammation of secrotum and orchitis.

5-necropsy finding : in chronic formle small nodules in lung and ulcer on the mucosa of upper respiratory tract ,nodules on skin

And local L.N contain pus and necrotic foci in internal organs.

Control

There is no solid immunity

1-Complate quarantine of all infected animals

2-Clinical cases should be destroyed.

3-Others horses should be test with malleinand all + killed

4-Destroyed program

5-Restriction movement of all horses.