A stray Mexican donkey has tested positive for glanders, the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) announced March 27.
A USDA mounted quarantine enforcement inspector recently apprehended five Mexican stray donkeys along the Mexico-Texas border north of Presidio. The donkeys were transported to the USDA Presidio holding pens where they were isolated from contact with other animals. One of the five donkeys subsequently tested positive for glanders. The protocol for equids captured straying into Texas from Mexico is to test them for a number of diseases foreign to the United States, including glanders.
Glanders is a highly contagious bacterial disease of the equine family. The disease is characterized by the development of ulcerating growths that are most commonly found in the upper respiratory tract, lungs, and skin. Infections are usually fatal. Humans and other animals are also susceptible.
"It is imperative that we remain vigilant in protecting our borders from disease intrusions such as glanders," Dee Ellis, DVM, state veterinarian and TAHC executive director. "Mexican strays continue to pose a huge threat to Texas livestock and to our animal agriculture industry."