Glanders: Govt bans entry, exit of horses, donkeys

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 12

The Delhi Government has notified the ban of entry and exit horses, donkeys and mules on the border areas of the national Capital after glanders, a bacterial disease, was detected in the horses in the city. The glanders is a communicable disease.

Initially, the glanders was detected in West Delhi. Later samples were sent to a NRCE laboratory in Hissar which had pointed out infected horses at 11 places in various parts of the capital. The veterinary department has declared the 11 places as control zone, said Gopal Rai, the minister looking after the department concerned.

This disease in horses was also detected in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab.

He said all the horses found infected are of private persons. A total of 2,000 samples were sent to the laboratory. So far the department has received report of 1,000 samples and out of it 32 were found positive.

The minister said today he had a meeting of senior officers of veterinary department of the Delhi Government, all three MCDs, NDMC, Army and the Delhi Police where the current situation had been discussed at length and decision was taken to ban the entry and exit of horses, donkeys and mules on the border areas of the capital as glanders was a communicable disease.

He said inside the city also the movement of horses was not allowed. The horses deployed on emergency services are exempted from the ban. The Delhi Police, Army and Race Club have also sent samples to the laboratory. But their horses are safe and healthy, the minister said.

The government has constituted 11 teams to look into the issues. If a person notices an infected horse, he can inform the veterinary department.