CHAPTER XXVII 



GLANDERS GROUP 



ONE organism only, the Bacillus mallei, the cause of glanders 

 and farcy in equines, is known to belong to this group. It should 

 be noted that the so-called pseudoglanders and the causal organ- 

 isms are treated under other chapter headings. These latter 

 organisms are not related to the organism in question except in 

 that they produce lesions which are sometimes confused with 

 glanders clinically. Some of the pseudoglanders organisms belong 

 to such disease groups as the bacteria, the blastomycetes, and the 



hyphomycetes. 



Bacillus mallei 



Synonyms. Bacterium mallei; Mycobacterium mallei. 



Diseases Produced. Glanders and farcy in equines; Rotz; 

 morve. 



Loffler and Schiitz, in 1882, demonstrated the presence of a 

 characteristic rod (B. mallei) in the nasal discharge of a horse 

 affected with glanders. Kitt, in 4883', and Weichselbaum, in 

 1885, confirmed these results and added to our knowledge of the 

 organism. 



Distribution. Glanders is known in practically every 

 civilized country. 



Morphology and Staining. Bacillus mallei is a short rod, 

 usually straight, but sometimes somewhat curved. The ends are 

 rounded. It is usually single, more rarely in pairs or short chains. 

 Involution forms are frequently produced; enlarged cells, clubbed 

 forms, filaments, and even branching have been observed. This 

 last fact has led to the grouping of this form with the higher fungi 

 by some authors. The normal rods vary from 0.25 to 0.4 by 1.5 to 

 5 p. The organism is non-motile, and does not produce spores 

 or capsules. It stains with the ordinary anilin dyes, and still 

 better with stains containing a mordant, such as carbol-fuchsin. 



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