38 districts in UP affected by Glanders outbreak

Glanders is a fatal and highly contagious disease found in horses,mules and donkeys. There is no other way to treat the disease except euthanising the animals.

At least 38 of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh have been gripped by glanders — a fatal and highly contagious disease found in horses,mules and donkeys — over the past two years.

A man with his horses during the cattle fair at Kalyan Village. (HT File Photo/Representative image)

The National Research Centre for Equines (NRCE) in Hisar, tested at least one positive blood sample randomly taken from each of these districts.

“The disease is still sporadic and all our efforts are directed at containing it,” said Dr SK Agarwal who heads the team monitoring the disease in the animal husbandry department.

“There is no other way to treat the disease except euthanising the animals. Convincing their owners to do this often hinders our work,” he said.

But the department is clearly worried over the spread to newer districts and has stepped up vigil in the state. Precautionary measures were doubled after glanders cases were reported in Delhi and districts like Ghaziabad and Noida were put on high alert.