Glanders disease: Delhi government asks Delhi Golf Course to postpone/cancel Derby

The government issued a notification to the Delhi Golf Course today asking it either to postpone the event till mid-April or cancel it due to the outbreak of “deadly zoonotic disease”. Justice Rajiv Shakdher was told by Delhi government’s Additional Standing Counsel Naushad Ahmed Khan that they have banned all kinds of activities relating to horses in Delhi and would take action in public interest.

As per a January 15 notification of the Delhi government, no equine movement to and from the national capital was allowed for three months to check the contagious infection. Glanders is an infection caused by bacterium Burkholderia mallei caused by ingestion of contaminated feed or water. Its symptoms include formation of nodular lesions in lungs and ulcers in respiratory tract and acute cases result in coughing, fever, and septicaemia.

The court was hearing a petition by an owner of two horses saying they were not allowed to participate in the Derby horse race as not being allowed to be brought from Mumbai to Delhi for the time being in accordance with the notification. In view of the Tuesday’s development, the court allowed senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the firm Blazing Saddles, to withdraw the petition.