Glanders (Burkholderia mallei) Antibody Test

Glanders is a serious disease of horses caused by a bacterium called Burkholderia mallei. It can cause nasal discharge, a cough, swollen glands and nodules or sores on the skin, and some horses carry the disease with few signs. The germ can spread between horses through shared water troughs, feed and equipment. Glanders can also pass to people, so everyone who handles a sick horse should wash hands, wear gloves and speak to a doctor if they feel unwell.

A glanders antibody test looks for antibodies, which are proteins the body makes against a germ, in serum, the clear part of the blood. Several methods can be used, such as the complement fixation test (CFT) or ELISA, and the lab confirms the method when you book. A horse that may have glanders is a biosafety matter, so a veterinarian should take the blood sample and call the lab before it is sent, and the sample is handled under strict safety rules.

Glanders is a notifiable disease. A positive screening result is passed to your veterinarian, who deals with the animal husbandry department, because official confirmation is a matter for the authorities. A negative result does not always rule glanders out, especially early in an infection. A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the horse's signs and history. This page gives no advice on treatment.