[Glanders--an eradicable disease--or a threat?].

Glanders (malleus), attacking equids and transmissible to humans, does not occur in our geographical area any more, but world-wide eradication has not yet been achieved. Cases of glanders have been reported from India, Iraq, Mongolia and China and in 2001 also from South America. The disease is caused by Burkholderia mallei (earlied known as Bacillus, Pfeiferella, Loefflerella, Malleomyces, Actinobacillus, or Pseudomonas mallei). The continual interest of microbiologists in the causative agents indicates that glanders cannot be regarded as a closed historic episode. Occupational infections of laboratory personnel occurred during World War II and the years thereafter and the last accident was reported in May 2000. Topical problems of glanders include the development of a vaccine and antibiotic therapy tested in experimentally infected subjects.