It’s got all the ingredients for a classic TPWKY episode: Deadly zoonotic bacterium (Burkholderia mallei). Tier 1 Select Agent role in war (greatest risk from a bioterrorism perspective). Historically caused devastating outbreaks resulting in mass casualty (of equids). And yet few people know what glanders is (unless you’ve recently watched The Americans tv show). This week, we’re aiming to lift glanders out of obscurity and bring it the attention it so deserves. What exactly is Burkholderia mallei and how does it cause the painful and lingering symptoms it’s known for? When did glanders first strike, and how did it play a role in the US Civil War? Why does it currently rank high up on the list of possible agents of bioterrorism? Tune in to find out all this and more!
| History | Biology |
| Dvorak, Glenda D., and Anna R. Spickler. “Glanders.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 233.4 (2008): 570-577. | Torres, A.G., 2025. Glanders: An ancient and emergent disease with no vaccine or treatment on site. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 19(6), p.e0013160. |
| Elliott, C. R. “Death of a Pale Horse: Glanders and Warfare in North America, 1812–1865.” Animal History (2026): 1-18. | Van Zandt, K.E., Greer, M.T. and Gelhaus, H.C., 2013. Glanders: an overview of infection in humans. Orphanet journal of rare diseases, 8(1), p.131. |
| Gaiger, S. H. “Glanders in man.” Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics 26 (1913): 223-236. | Srinivasan, A., Kraus, C.N., DeShazer, D., Becker, P.M., Dick, J.D., Spacek, L., Bartlett, J.G., Byrne, W.R. and Thomas, D.L., 2001. Glanders in a military research microbiologist. New England Journal of Medicine, 345(4), pp.256-258. |
| Gaiger, S. H. “Glanders in man: A second attack after apparent recovery.” Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics 29 (1916): 26-46. | Kanani, Y., Oryan, A. and Derakhshandeh, A., 2026. Glanders: Past, Present and Future of a Neglected Zoonosis as a Threat in Veterinary and Human Health. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 12(3), p.e70950. |
| Hickman, J. “Glanders: A contribution to epidemiology.” Equine Veterinary Journal 2.4 (1970): 153-158. | World Organization for Animal Health. Glanders. https://www.woah.org/en/disease/glanders/ |
| Huidekoper, R.S. “Glanders and Farcy.” United States Department of Agriculture Bureau of Animal Industry 78. (1903). | Brennan, S., Thompson, J.M., Gulvik, C.A., Paisie, T.K., Elrod, M.G., Gee, J.E., Schrodt, C.A., DeBord, K.M., Richardson Jr, B.T., Drenzek, C. and Bower, W.A., 2025. Related melioidosis cases with unknown exposure source, Georgia, USA, 1983–2024. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 31(9), p.1802. |
| Hunting, W. M. “Glanders.” Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics 15 (1902): 215-244. | Luz, K.G., Bezerra, F.R., Sicolo, M.A., Silva, A.A., Egito, A.A., Suniga, P.A., Moriya, J.C., Santos, M.G., Mantovani, C., Silva, J.S. and Almeida, N.F., 2024. Clinical and molecular characterization of human Burkholderia mallei infection, Brazil. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 30(11), p.2400. |
| Hunting, William. Glanders: A Clinical Treatise. H. & W. Brown, 1908. | Whitlock, G.C., Mark Estes, D. and Torres, A.G., 2007. Glanders: off to the races with Burkholderia mallei. FEMS microbiology letters, 277(2), pp.115-122. |
| Jennings, Robert. Glanders. Thompson, printer, 1864. | Da Silva, V.V., de Albuquerque Paiva, W.I., De Melo, M.M.M., Neves, I.V., Bianchini, S., Maia, D.P.D.S.B., De Almeida, J.C., Junior, J.W.P., de Oliveira, P.R.F. and Mota, R.A., 2025. Geospatial distribution of Glanders in a tropical area of northeastern Brazil: A retrospective spatial and spatiotemporal approach (2020–2024). Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, p.102409. |
| Jones, Bruce Vivash. “Glanders and history.” The Veterinary Record 178.26 (2016): 664. | Meumann, E.M., Limmathurotsakul, D., Dunachie, S.J., Wiersinga, W.J. and Currie, B.J., 2024. Burkholderia pseudomallei and melioidosis. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 22(3), pp.155-169. |
| Kettle, Anthony NB, and Paul L. Nicoletti. “36 Glanders.” Equine Infectious Diseases E-Book: Equine Infectious Diseases E-Book (2013): 329. | |
| Sharrer, G. Terry. “The great glanders epizootic, 1861-1866: a Civil War legacy.” Agricultural history 69.1 (1995): 79-97. | |
| Srinivasan, Arjun, et al. “Glanders in a military research microbiologist.” New England Journal of Medicine 345.4 (2001): 256-258. | |
| Torres, Alfredo G. “Glanders: An ancient and emergent disease with no vaccine or treatment on site.” PLoS neglected tropical diseases 19.6 (2025): e0013160. | |
| Tucker, Jonathan B. “Biological weapons in the former Soviet Union: an interview with Dr. Kenneth Alibek.” (1999): 1-10. | |
| Waag, David M., and David DeShazer. “Glanders: new insights into an old disease.” Biological weapons defense: infectious diseases and counterbioterrorism. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2005. 209-237. | |
| Whitlock, Gregory C., D. Mark Estes, and Alfredo G. Torres. “Glanders: off to the races with Burkholderia mallei.” FEMS microbiology letters 277.2 (2007): 115-122. | |
| Wilkinson, Lise. “Glanders: medicine and veterinary medicine in common pursuit of a contagious disease.” Medical History 25.4 (1981): 363-384. |
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