Formerly Forgotten Equine Disease Returns To U.S.

For the first time since 1942, officials say a case of glanders has turned up in the United States. The bacterial illness, which isn't even included in modern veterinary textbooks, has been blamed for thousands of horse deaths over the course of history and was rumored to be a biological weapon between cavalries in World Wars I and II.

Five donkeys were discovered wandering along the U.S. border with Mexico this week. According to the Texas Animal Health Commission, the animals were quarantined and tested for disease; one came up positive for glanders.

Symptoms of glanders include ulcerated growths externally and internally around the upper respiratory tract. It can be passed between animals sharing the same food or water source, and can live on surfaces for over a year. The illness can be passed to humans and to other species, and there is no vaccine.

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