1. Horse disease characterized by glandular swelling.
2. A destructive and contagious bacterial disease of horses that can be transmitted to humans.
3. A contagious, usually fatal disease of horses and other equine species, caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas mallei and symptomized by swollen lymph nodes, nasal discharge, and ulcers of the respiratory tract and skin.

A disease which is communicable to other mammals, including humans

The acute form, which may be fatal, is marked by a purulent inflammation of mucous membranes and an eruption on the skin of nodules that coalesce and break down, forming deep ulcers that may end in necrosis of cartilages and bones.

A chronic form known as farcy involves the lymphatic system.

The bacterium responsible for glanders is now known as Burkholderia mallei; formerly called Pseudomonas mallei.

Glanders attacks the mucous membranes of the nostrils, producing increased secretion and discharge of mucus, and enlargement and induration of the lymph glands of the lower jaw; therefore, the name "glanders" from the French glandres meaning "glands".