With a prayer on their lips and fingers crossed, the owners and trainers at the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) are awaiting the results of the glanders test from the National Research Centre for Equines (NRCE). BTC is likely to obtain the final results and test report on Wednesday evening. Some of the trainers at this centre disclosed that there is a good chance that the results obtained will be negative considering the fact that a couple of trainers had sent out video scopes to a couple of top vets in the United Kingdom and the opinion after a study is that this doesn't look like glanders. This gives hope and the owners and trainers are hopeful. But the fact of the matter is if NRCE report confirms positive than all the opinions, suggestions and recommendations quickly fly out of the window, be it from United Kingdom, France or Hong Kong. 

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Karnataka Trainers Association (KTA) in a letter to the BTC have asked the management committee to send out the samples to a globally recognised Dubai Laboratory. KTA secretary, Faraz Arshad confirmed that the letter was sent out on Sunday and KTA is hopeful to seek a favourable response from BTC. "We understand that the results from the NRCE will be final and binding. But if it's possible, the members of the KTA and owners want the club to gain another opinion from a globally accepted and authorized lab," said Faraz. 

KTA president Pradeep Annaiah said: "It's strange that other horses in the yards of the horses tested positive for glanders have tested negative.  More than 200 random samples drawn have come negative. It could well be false positive case and we are keeping our fingers crossed," said Pradeep pointing out that the two-year-olds tested positive came into the campus with a negative certificate in March. "Somewhere something is missing and at the moment we are unable to connect the dots," said Pradeep. 

Owner Arun Kumar, who proudly led in Ice Of Fire, winner of the first classic of the season, the 1000 Guineas, sounding confident that the reports from NRCE will  bring cheer on the morrow to the owners in despair, revealed that a couple of owners have sought opinion from the best vets in England and Scotland and they are of the opinion that it appears like a severe fungal infection and not glanders. 

More importantly, trusted leading vet, Husneyn Mirza when asked to throw light on the subject and what's his take on the serious issue made it clear that it's very confusing and the NRCE results will clear the uncertainty. When posed with the question, is it possible that all five samples could come negative? Husneyn shot back: "There is a good chance. At the lab here, preliminary Elisa test report confirmed all five positive, but this is not recognised by the OIE. The only nodal lab to declare a glanders disease in India is NRCE and that is the only lab that is accredited to do the OIE validated Complement Fixation test. 

In a telephonic conversation Husneyn revealed that it could well be a false positive and that all five results at NRCE could come negative. Bacteria Burkholderia Pseudo Mallei causes Melioidosis in horses, a serious fatal infection similar to glanders (caused by the related B.Mallei) presenting as nodules, Ulcers, Pneumonia or infections spread through contaminated water, soil and infected animals. Husneyn disclosed that Burkholderia Pseudo Mallei can give a cross reaction results which could be false positive as there is a cross reaction for B.Pseudo Mallei antibodies which is not glanders. The only test after CFT which can rule out glanders is PCR and nasal swab cultures that differentiate B.Mallei from B.Pseudo Mallei. This apart, skin legions are common in glanders and they are not showing up on any of the horses at this centre, said Husneyn providing hope to the racing fraternity, while making it clear that a positive test result nevertheless from NRCE will shut shop for the next few months.