<p>Bengaluru: The Winter Season at the Bangalore Turf Club faces cancellation after five horses reportedly tested positive for the highly contagious Glanders disease, an outbreak that has already paralysed racing in Hyderabad and Chennai.</p>.<p>After the deadly zoonotic disease first surfaced in Hyderabad about a month ago that has claimed the lives of 15 horses, it instantly had officials here in Bengaluru worried. And those fears came true when some horses started showing symptoms like fever and cough about a week ago.</p>.Horse racing commences for first time since March in Bengaluru.<p>Samples of horses with symptoms and many others were immediately sent to the Government Veterinary Hospital in Hebbal for testing. The results, sources confirmed, of the five horses returned positive for Glanders. The hospital recommended sending the B samples to the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE), a premier institute for equine health in Hisar, Haryana. NRCE is the only laboratory in South Asia designated to investigate glanders disease and it’s mandatory to send such samples for confirmation, according to Central Government rules.</p>.<p>The B samples will be dispatched to NRCE on Friday and the results could be out in a couple of days. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Glanders is an infectious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects horses, donkeys or mules caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. Glanders can be transmitted to humans who live in close contact with the infected animals.</p>.<p>BTC chairman L Shivashankar refused to confirm or deny the ‘positive’ tests, saying the club will wait for NRCE’s reports – the final authority on the issue. “We are seeking a second opinion. The samples will be sent to NRCE. Once the results come out, we will do everything as per government protocols,” Shivashankar told DH.</p>.<p>Sources familiar with these issues, however, claimed the Veterinary Hospital’s observations hardly go wrong and NRCE’s confirmation could put racing this season in serious jeopardy.</p>.<p>“The horses that are infected come from the stables of the breeder whose horses were down with Glanders in Hyderabad. He’s a very reputed breeder and it’s sad to see it go this way,” said the source.</p>.<p>“Judging by the symptoms and from where the horses come from, it’ll be a miracle if NRCE finds those samples negative. Mind you, even one positive test means the entire stable has to be put under lockdown. So it’s really bad news for BTC which, like many other racing clubs across the country, is going through a turbulent time economically.”</p>.<p>According to an official, who chose to remain anonymous, wriggling out of a Glanders outbreak would be an exhaustive process for the club. Once a horse tests positive, the entire facility goes under lockdown. Samples of all horses have to be sent to NRCE every 21 days and no horse should test positive for three successive testing cycles for racing to get a green signal. But even if one tests positive, the whole process starts all over again.</p>.<p>BTC, one of the premier racing centres in the country, is home to around 750 horses. Results of each sample take 48-72 hours to arrive, so just imagine about 750 of them. Plus add the ongoing crisis in Hyderabad and Chennai. All this means, the Winter Season may see a pre-mature end. Apart from missing out on racing here, horses won't be able to travel, leaving them out of bounds for the Indian Derby in February as well the Invitation Cup weekend in March.</p>.<p>It has also been learnt that two horses in Mysuru have also tested positive for Glanders.</p>.<p> <strong>What is Glanders?</strong> </p><p>According to World Organisation for Animal Health, Glanders is an infectious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects horses, donkeys or mules caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. The disease causes nodules and ulcerations in the respiratory tract and lungs in animals. A skin form, known as ‘farcy’, also occurs. Is it fatal? A cure is possible if cases are treated rapidly with antibiotics.</p><p>Fatality rates for untreated infections are very high. How does it spread? The most common source of infection is ingestion of contaminated food or water. Contaminated aerosols (produced by coughing and sneezing), and contaminated fomites brought to the animals via grooming equipment and tack may also be a source of infection. Can Glanders be transmitted to humans? Yes, Glanders, which is a life-threatening zoonosis for which no vaccines exist, can be transmitted to humans. It is a rare disease in humans with cases having occurred in veterinarians, other people working closely with horses, and laboratory workers. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Winter Season at the Bangalore Turf Club faces cancellation after five horses reportedly tested positive for the highly contagious Glanders disease, an outbreak that has already paralysed racing in Hyderabad and Chennai.</p>.<p>After the deadly zoonotic disease first surfaced in Hyderabad about a month ago that has claimed the lives of 15 horses, it instantly had officials here in Bengaluru worried. And those fears came true when some horses started showing symptoms like fever and cough about a week ago.</p>.Horse racing commences for first time since March in Bengaluru.<p>Samples of horses with symptoms and many others were immediately sent to the Government Veterinary Hospital in Hebbal for testing. The results, sources confirmed, of the five horses returned positive for Glanders. The hospital recommended sending the B samples to the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE), a premier institute for equine health in Hisar, Haryana. NRCE is the only laboratory in South Asia designated to investigate glanders disease and it’s mandatory to send such samples for confirmation, according to Central Government rules.</p>.<p>The B samples will be dispatched to NRCE on Friday and the results could be out in a couple of days. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Glanders is an infectious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects horses, donkeys or mules caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. Glanders can be transmitted to humans who live in close contact with the infected animals.</p>.<p>BTC chairman L Shivashankar refused to confirm or deny the ‘positive’ tests, saying the club will wait for NRCE’s reports – the final authority on the issue. “We are seeking a second opinion. The samples will be sent to NRCE. Once the results come out, we will do everything as per government protocols,” Shivashankar told DH.</p>.<p>Sources familiar with these issues, however, claimed the Veterinary Hospital’s observations hardly go wrong and NRCE’s confirmation could put racing this season in serious jeopardy.</p>.<p>“The horses that are infected come from the stables of the breeder whose horses were down with Glanders in Hyderabad. He’s a very reputed breeder and it’s sad to see it go this way,” said the source.</p>.<p>“Judging by the symptoms and from where the horses come from, it’ll be a miracle if NRCE finds those samples negative. Mind you, even one positive test means the entire stable has to be put under lockdown. So it’s really bad news for BTC which, like many other racing clubs across the country, is going through a turbulent time economically.”</p>.<p>According to an official, who chose to remain anonymous, wriggling out of a Glanders outbreak would be an exhaustive process for the club. Once a horse tests positive, the entire facility goes under lockdown. Samples of all horses have to be sent to NRCE every 21 days and no horse should test positive for three successive testing cycles for racing to get a green signal. But even if one tests positive, the whole process starts all over again.</p>.<p>BTC, one of the premier racing centres in the country, is home to around 750 horses. Results of each sample take 48-72 hours to arrive, so just imagine about 750 of them. Plus add the ongoing crisis in Hyderabad and Chennai. All this means, the Winter Season may see a pre-mature end. Apart from missing out on racing here, horses won't be able to travel, leaving them out of bounds for the Indian Derby in February as well the Invitation Cup weekend in March.</p>.<p>It has also been learnt that two horses in Mysuru have also tested positive for Glanders.</p>.<p> <strong>What is Glanders?</strong> </p><p>According to World Organisation for Animal Health, Glanders is an infectious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects horses, donkeys or mules caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. The disease causes nodules and ulcerations in the respiratory tract and lungs in animals. A skin form, known as ‘farcy’, also occurs. Is it fatal? A cure is possible if cases are treated rapidly with antibiotics.</p><p>Fatality rates for untreated infections are very high. How does it spread? The most common source of infection is ingestion of contaminated food or water. Contaminated aerosols (produced by coughing and sneezing), and contaminated fomites brought to the animals via grooming equipment and tack may also be a source of infection. Can Glanders be transmitted to humans? Yes, Glanders, which is a life-threatening zoonosis for which no vaccines exist, can be transmitted to humans. It is a rare disease in humans with cases having occurred in veterinarians, other people working closely with horses, and laboratory workers. </p>