%0 Journal Article
%T Effectiveness of an antimicrobial treatment scheme in a confined glanders outbreak
%A Muhammad Saqib
%A Ghulam Muhammad
%A Abeera Naureen
%A Muhammad H Hussain
%A M Asi
%A M Mansoor
%A Mehdi Toufeer
%A Iahtasham Khan
%A Heinrich Neubauer
%A Lisa D Sprague
%J BMC Veterinary Research
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1746-6148-8-214
%X Twenty three culture positive glanderous horses were successfully treated during a confined outbreak by applying a treatment protocol of 12 weeks duration based on the parenteral administration of enrofloxacin and trimethoprim plus sulfadiazine, followed by the oral administration of doxycycline. Induction of immunosupression in six randomly chosen horses after completion of treatment did not lead to recrudescence of disease.This study demonstrates that long term treatment of glanderous horses with a combination of various antibiotics seems to eliminate the agent from the organism. However, more studies are needed to test the effectiveness of this treatment regime on B. mallei strains from different endemic regions. Due to its cost and duration, this treatment can only be an option in certain situations and should not replace the current ¡°testing and culling¡± policy, in conjunction with adequate compensation to prevent spreading of disease.Glanders is a contagious and highly fatal zoonotic disease of solipeds caused by the Gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia (B.) mallei. This disease is characterised by progressive loss of efficiency due to the development of nodular and ulcerative lesions in the skin and the upper respiratory tract. The horse is the only known natural host of B. mallei. In humans, glanders is usually an occupational disease, affecting individuals in close contact with infected animals such as farmers, grooms, and veterinarians, but also laboratory personnel handling the agent. Glanders has a 95% case fatality rate in untreated septicaemic infections and a 50% case fatality rate in treated human individuals, even if diagnosed early on [1,2]. Despite several studies demonstrating the susceptibility of B. mallei to numerous antibiotics in vitro, many failed to eradicate the agent from the organism of laboratory animals when challenged [1,3,4]. Current treatment protocols for human glanders therefore, are based on data gained from treatment schemes for
%K Burkholderia mallei
%K Zoonosis
%K Glanders
%K Horse
%K Treatment
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/8/214