Glanders: an overview of infection in humans

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Biodefense

Background:

• Glanders is a highly contagious, fatal zoonotic disease primarily affecting equids.
• Eradicated in developed nations, B. mallei remains a biodefense concern due to its potential use as a biological weapon.
• Current medical countermeasures are insufficient, lacking effective vaccines and requiring lengthy antibiotic treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a literature review on human glanders.
• To focus on pulmonary glanders as the most probable outcome of a biological weapon attack.
• To outline current treatment regimens and propose a clinical definition for human pulmonary glanders.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of human glanders cases and research.
• Analysis of clinical epidemiology, risk factors, and exposure routes.
• Examination of diagnostic methods, symptoms, and incubation periods.

Main Results:

• Human glanders presents with diverse clinical manifestations.
• Pulmonary glanders is the most likely form following a biological weapon release.
• Effective vaccines are lacking, and treatment requires prolonged antibiotic therapy.

Conclusions:

• Human glanders, particularly pulmonary infection, poses a significant biodefense threat.
• Development of novel medical countermeasures, including vaccines, is critical.
• Standardized clinical definitions and diagnostic approaches are needed for effective management.