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ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - GHANA (06): (UPPER EAST)
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[1]

Date: 24 May 2012
Source GBC Ghana [edited]
http://www.gbcghana.com/index.php?id=1.908375


Three people have died following the outbreak of anthrax in the Balungu electoral area of the Bongo district in the Upper East region.

Several animals have also died from the disease, which has been in the community for the last 2 weeks.

The Assemblyman for the area Edward Abesiwine, who disclosed this outbreak to Radio Ghana, said officials from the Ministry of Agriculture are in the community to vaccinate animals against the disease. Mr Abesiwine appealed to the government and philanthropists to go to the aid of the people, since some cannot afford the fee being charged for vaccination.

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[2]
Date: 24 May 2012
Source: Joy Online [edited]
http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/ne ... /87169.php


Two more people have been reported dead in fresh cases of anthrax in the Upper East region following a vaccination exercise which was thought to have brought the situation under control, after 2 people and 20 cows died from an outbreak of the deadly infection at Gogo in the Bawku West district last month [April 2012]. The latest deaths, which take the number of dead to 4, occurred at Balungu in the Bongo district.

Regional Veterinary Officer Dr. Thomas Anyorikiya told Joy News that they suspect the latest victims may have consumed an infected carcass and have, therefore, resumed vaccinations. "The soils are contaminated. ... If the carcasses were not properly buried, it means they opened the carcasses, prepared the meat and consumed it, thereby contaminating their soil. This is the education we have been giving. Once you open the carcass and contaminate the soil, you can expect anthrax to be there for the next 25 years, at least."

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[These livestock and human deaths reinforce Dr. Anyorikiya's concerns in a previous posting: see 20120518.1137531. The duration of soil contamination depends very much on its pH and calcium content. As this region is such a persistent source of reports, we can assume it has the characteristics of a black steppe soil, high pH (over 7), high calcium levels, plenty of organic humus.

To find the North-East Region go to:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/g ... n_2007.jpg. - Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1jUt.]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - GHANA (07): VACCINATION
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Date: 25 May 2012
Source: Ghana Broadcasting Company [edited]
http://www.gbcghana.com/index.php?id=1.909803


2700 animals vaccinated against anthrax in Bongo
------------------------------------------------
The Upper East Regional Veterinary Officer, Thomas Anyorikeya, says about 2700 animals have so far been vaccinated against anthrax in Balungo and Bongo communities in the Bongo District.

He said his department has asked for more logistics [support] from the central government to contain the disease in the region.

Mr. Anyorikeya told George Asekere that there is no cause for alarm.

Meanwhile, the Assemblyman for the Balungo electoral area, Edward Abisiwine, who is currently on the field, says the situation is under control.

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[I am always impressed by how competent the Ghanaian veterinary service is though constrained by poor funding. I just wish they could get support for an effective 5-year proactive vaccination programme in the Upper East Region. - Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1jUt.]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - GHANA (08): (UPPER EAST) VACCINATION HALTED
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Date: 28 May 2012
Source: Daily Guide [edited]
http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=49455


Anthrax Kills More
------------------
An additional 2 persons have been killed by the deadly anthrax disease after consuming the carcass of an anthrax infected cow. The 2 were among 3 people who ate the carcass of an anthrax infected cow at the Nabiisi section of Balungu in the Bongo District of the Upper East region. 2 persons earlier died at the Googo community in the Bawku West District of the Upper East region after consuming the meat of animals suspected to have suffered anthrax infection. Some cattle owners do not bury the carcass after sudden death, but slaughter and sprinkle concoction on them for sale. [This is essentially just a re-run of what was posted on 25 May 2012 in 20120518.1137531. Now read on. - Mod.MHJ]

Daily Guide gathered that the Bongo District Assembly and the District of office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture office have halted the vaccination programme in the Bongo district due to the lack of resources to convey veterinary officers to various parts of the district.

From 11 to 22 May 2012, some veterinary officers used their [own] resources to travel from Bongo to Balungu and its environs to continue the vaccination. [But] they have resolved to stop the programme until the District Assembly provides them with money [for] travel to the communities to continue the vaccination programme.

Recently, a combined team of Health and Veterinary Officers, Zoomlion and an elder from the Bonaba's palace, went to Balungu and retrieved the remaining portion of a "prepared" meat and other dead cattle from the owners for proper burial to avert the spread of the disease.

According the Upper East Regional Officer of the Veterinary Service, Dr.Thomas Anyorikeya, a total of 2700 livestock were vaccinated in the Balungu area and other parts of the Bongo District from 11 to 22 May 2012. He said people have been advised to seek medical treatment.

This is not the 1st time an anthrax outbreak has been recorded in the Bongo district, but some people have tried to eat the carcasses of dead animals even though they have been sternly cautioned against such practice.

The Regional Veterinary Officer told Daily Guide that the sprouting stage of the grass is very dangerous because the anthrax spores are just beneath the grass [in the root mass and get consumed when a grazing cow tugs it all out when grazing. - Mod.MHJ]. Currently, farmers are expected to pay 20Gp [USD 10.65] to vaccinate a cow, bull, sheep, goat, pig, dog or donkey but some of them are refusing to pay for the vaccination of their animals.

[Byline: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bongo]

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[This is becoming a very instructive event as we watch the Upper East veterinarians struggle to be able to travel from farm to farm to vaccinate their cattle. The FAO data on Ghana shows that Ghanaian cattle are concentrated in the upper half of the country and most densely in the small Upper East Region. Thus the concentration of cases in this area.

To find the North-East Region go to:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/g ... n_2007.jpg.

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1jUt.
- Mod.MHJ]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - BULGARIA: (SHUMEN) SUSPECTED
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[1] Date: 11 Jun 2012
Source: Darik News [edited]
http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=916184

A total of 11 people have been in contact with an anthrax infected cow in the village of Takach, according to Dr Dimitar Kostov, director of RZI-Shumen. The men participated in the slaughter of animals at the end of last week [8 or 9 Jun 2012]. According to Dr Kostov a single case of cutaneous anthrax has been confirmed in a male patient in Shumen hospital. He is currently in a stable condition. The other 10 people were given antibiotics for prevention, with instructions to take them for 8 days.

In Izvurshva village more than 1000 animals have been vaccinated by the Agency for Food Safety. "A private veterinary practitioner failed to inform state authorities about the case in Takach and his detailed explanation has been requested," commented Dr Katya Dimitrova, director of the Food Safety Agency in Shumen. In her words, "When the results of the surveyed meat at the Reference Laboratory in Sofia are available in a few and all will become clear."

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******
[2] Date: 12 Jun 2012
Source: Cross Online Bulgarian Network [edited]
http://www.cross.bg/1307173


Nobody had consumed meat from infected cows in the village of kaolinovskoto Takach. That said, a 40 year old man was placed yesterday in Shumen hospital with suspected anthrax. He had rash lesions on his hands after contact with meat from the slaughtered animal. His condition is good, and is under antibiotic treatment.

The animal was slaughtered on Friday [8 Jun 2012], attended by 11 villagers. The carcass of the infected animal is being rendered. Samples of meat were sent to the national diagnostic laboratory in Sofia. "The results will be known within a few days," said Dr Katya Dimitrova, director of the Food Safety Agency in Shumen.

--
communicated by:
Sabine Zentis [cvlonghorns@aol.com]
Castleview English Longhorns
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D-52385 Nideggen, Germany


[There are a number of anomalies in these reports. It usually takes some 3-4 days minimum before any skin lesions develop, and as this animal was probably butchered just before the weekend there would not have been much of a carcass left if identification of the problem followed the clinical onset of the human case. The nature of veterinary involvement before, during, or after slaughter is unclear, but probably minimal from the official comments. They were fortunate to have some bits available to be sent for confirmation in Sofia. I suspect that the human case was diagnosed clinically and not as a result of any laboratory action as the Food Agency officer is still awaiting veterinary laboratory confirmation. Thus why this has been posted as a "suspect" case for the moment.

Anthrax is sporadic in Bulgarian livestock, affecting both cattle, sheep and goats, largely in Ruse and Yambol in north east Bulgaria. To see a map of Bulgaria, go to http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/bulgaria.jpg
Shumen: http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BU/54/Shumen.html
Takach/Takatsch/Tukach: http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BU/54/Tukach.html - Mod.MHJ]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN - AZERBAIJAN ex GEORGIA: FEAR OF SPREAD, ALERT, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: 13 Jun 2012
Source: Vestnikkavkaza.net [edited]
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/politics/27749.html


The State Veterinary Service (SVS) of the Azerbaijani Agriculture Ministry has called for more vigilance at customs posts and trade centers due to an outbreak of anthrax in neighboring Georgia, a spokesman of the SVS, Yolchu Khanveli, said, Trend reports. No response to the request for information on anthrax has been given.

Imports of Georgian cattle and meat are permitted with vaccination. Imports need 21 days of quarantine. No cases of anthrax have been registered in Azerbaijan so far. 2 389 681 cattle, 7 041 396 small cattle, 106 421 one-hoofed animals, and 5880 pigs have been vaccinated.

30 people in Georgia, 20 of whom are Azerbaijanis, have been infected with anthrax.

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[There are no reports by the OIE of any anthrax outbreaks in recent weeks except for one in relation to La Guajira in Colombia, nor of any human cases in Georgia or Azerbaijan. This is not to say that such events have not occurred or are not occurring. I would hazard a guess that Azerbaijanis in Georgia have been writing home recounting these events. But whatever it takes to get folks to be more aware and livestock vaccinated, so be it.

The disease is infrequent in Azerbaijan, with single outbreaks recorded in 2006, 2007 (with 17 human cases), 2008 (with 12 human cases), and a single human case with no reported livestock cases in 2010; no human or livestock cases were reported in 2011. Unfortunately, the disease is more active in Georgia and with significant numbers of human cases: 2006 (38 human cases); 2007 (42); 2008 (62); 2009 (38); 2010 (28); and 2011 (81 with one death). - Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/2zi0.]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN - GEORGIA
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Date: Fri 15 Jun 2012
From: David Tsereteli [edited]


RE: Anthrax, human - Azerbaijan ex Georgia: fear of spread, alert, RFI

As of 15 Jun 2012, there have been 41 registered cases of anthrax in humans in Georgia

[Byline: Tamas Torok ]

--
David Tsereteli


[Tamas Torok is at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, and why ProMED is so successful. Our members have friends and share information. Thank you, gentlemen.

With 41 human cases in the first 6 months of 2012, it probable that the annual total will be similar to 2011. The average annual number for the previous 10 years, 2001-2010, was merely 34. Thus the Azerbaijanis have cause for concern that the infection may spread over the border and impact their livestock. It was an unfortunate characteristic of the old Soviet system to only report human cases accurately; livestock outbreaks an cases were significantly under-reported. That unnecessary habit continues today in the now independent member countries. It is also expensive as it under-recognises the threat posed by sick livestock in the persistence of this disease if it is not effectively controlled. Treating this disease in humans, however successfully, does nothing to reduce the risk to humans or livestock. - Mod.MHJ]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - BULGARIA (02): (SHUMEN)
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Date: Thu 21 Jun 2012
Source: Novini.bg [in Bulgarian, machine trans., edited]
http://www.novini.bg/news/71773-нов-слу ... ориче.html

[Unfortunately the URL address of the original newswire contains Russian Cyrillic lettering which will appear as an apparent garbled series of formatting characters in the email version of this report. For those subscribers who are interested in going to the original URL link, it can be found on the ProMED-mail website at http://www.promedmail.org. ProMED-mail apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this challenge. - Mod.MPP]


A new case of anthrax in Zagoriche
----------------------------------
High temperatures and lack of electrical power in Takach village have reinforced the villagers' concerns that there will be more cases.

The National Reference Laboratory confirmed one more case of anthrax [presumably a human case] in the Shumen village of Takach.

The village continues to be under quarantine. The problem is compounded by lack of water, said (BNT) Bulgarian National Television. Farmers said that the animals are confined and watering them from local sources is therefore impossible. Even the fountains are dry and the villagers have to collect water in containers. Some even dared face risk by taking their stock to the local reservoir. According to them, although they are under quarantine, the high temperatures and lack of water will sicken their stock.

According to the mayor of the village the offenders were forced by circumstances. People are doing for themselves. No animal can live a day without water, he added.

VS said that the lack of lead during the quarantine is inadmissible. If the circumstances do not improve within 2-3 days in regard to the water the villagers will be forced to protest.

It turns out that high consumption, power failure, and an accident at the pumping station and transmission network led to the water problem in Takach. Concerning the water, the Shumen authorities have promised that the village will have water by the end of the day.

[Byline: Janina Ivanova]

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[We are having a problem with these reports from Bulgaria as we have to depend on machine translations from Bulgarian into English. So there are points where one has to depend on intuition for what the true meaning might be. So I apologise to our Bulgarian members for any mistakes and ask that you might volunteer to be on hand when we get future reports needing translation.

To see maps of Bulgaria, go to http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/bulgaria.jpg and http://healthmap.org/r/2Cy*
Shumen: http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BU/54/Shumen.html
Takach/Takatsch/Tukach: http://www.fallingrain.com/world/BU/54/Tukach.html. - Mod.MHJ]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN - GEORGIA (02)
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Date: 22 Jun 2012
Source: FoxNews.com [edited]
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/2 ... rax-cases/


Georgia sees more anthrax cases
-------------------------------
At least 30 people in Georgia have contracted anthrax this year [2012], prompting authorities to step up safety measures, medical officials said Friday [22 Jun 2012]. Georgia's Center for Infectious Diseases said that by year's end the ex-Soviet nation is expected to roughly match last year's total of 59 cases. That would represent a marked increase from the 28 anthrax cases the Caucasus Mountains country had in 2010.

Naira Gogebashvili, a leading expert of a Tbilisi clinic treating infectious diseases, said some of the patients contracted anthrax due to violations of safety procedures regarding the burial of sick animals. "They should be buried in specially allocated ground, not in accidental places as it often happens," she told The Associated Press.

One of the hospital's patients, AA, a 58-year-old resident of the town of Tsalka in southern Georgia, contracted anthrax while cultivating a potato field. "I rubbed my hand and after several hours I saw that it's covered with sores," he said. "It turned out that a cow that died of anthrax was buried nearby. They conducted a check and found out it was buried not deeply enough."

Most of the cases this year have been registered in eastern Georgia near the border with Azerbaijan, but the infection has spread to other regions as well.

DK, 49, a resident of the village of Lemshveniera in the Gardaban region that borders Azerbaijan, said he got sick after helping a neighbor to [butcher] a dead cow. "We had no idea that the cow had anthrax," he said, showing his arms still covered with sores. He said that authorities quickly vaccinated all cows in the region following several anthrax cases.

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[Georgia had 81 human cases in 2011, with one death, and the total human cases this year, as of last week was 41, not 30 as reported by Fox News.

Human cutaneous cases from exposure to contaminated soil is really rare. The problem in this case is that if there is extensive extravasation of blood from a bovine carcass, the surrounding soil can be severely contaminated; the same if the animal has been butchered outside in a field. When the animal's grave is dug and filled, this contaminated soil gets dumped on top of the carcass and thus near the surface, or at the surface if the grave is shallow.

In Soviet days the authorities regularly reported human cutaneous cases from soil but this followed from their mode of criminal investigation after human cases were reported to the authorities. It was illegal to "shade-tree" butcher carcases and could result in prison time if found guilty. So such folk would insist that no animals had died and that they had been innocently hoeing cabbages or picking potatoes when they got infected. - Mod.MHJ

The country of Georgia can be located using the HealthMap/ProMEDmail interactive map at:
http://healthmap.org/r/017P.
- CopyEd.EJP]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - SOUTH SUDAN: (CENTRAL EQUATORIA) SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: 23 Jun 2012
Source: Oye Times [edited]
http://www.oyetimes.com/news/africa/253 ... yei-county


Disease Scare: Cattle Quarantined In Yei County
----------------------------------------------
The incident was triggered by the death of one person and hospitalisation of 3 others whom were suspected to have fed on infected beef.

The Mundari Chief will take custody of the cattle until court hearing commences. A meeting was convened at the County Commissioner's office [to include] the family of the deceased and the cattle's owner. A relative of the victim blamed the County Legal Advisor and the police for not taking swift action to address the situation.

Cattle and meat sellers present at the meeting called for the re-opening of butcheries that were recently closed, saying not all of them were involved in cattle thefts.

Meanwhile, the Yei River County Commissioner Juma David has directed that all cattle and meat sellers must possess licenses and necessary health documents before the butcheries are re-opened. He announced that the county authorities will establish a cattle camp outside Yei town where cattle bought for sale can be kept. The Commissioner also said that a slaughterhouse will be constructed in the area and added that all cattle must be examined by the veterinary office before slaughter.

[Byline: Petia Suliman Loro]

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[Frankly we are guessing at the cause of death of the one person and for the hospitalisation of the 3 others. When one has civil problems, such as are described here, the sale of meat from sick or moribund animals increases in likelihood.

Maps of South Sudan can be seen at
http://www.state.gov/img/11/44810/map_ssudan_331_1.jpg and
http://nile-jewel.org/wp-content/upload ... states.jpg.
- Mod.MHJ]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - TAJIKISTAN: (KULYABSKAYA)
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Date: 5 Jul 2012
Source: Avesta.Tj [edited]
http://www.avesta.tj/eng/society/2553-a ... istan.html


Eight people were hospitalized with symptoms of anthrax in eastern Tajikistan, news source Avesta was told by the Deputy Minister of Health of Tajikistan, Azam Mirzoev.

According to him, all the patients are residents of Gofilobod village, Kadiob Jamoat of Rogun. "This disease, namely the cutaneous form, infected individuals who participated in the [butchering of a local infected cow]," said Mirzoyev.

He noted that, currently, 8 people are hospitalized, 5 of them in Faizabad district, and 3 others are in a hospital in Rogun. The condition of the patients is assessed as stable.

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[Livestock anthrax tends to be under-reported in Tajikistan. Though the human incidence appears to be decreasing, it is not uncommon for the reasons we see exemplified in this report and for inadequate availability of veterinary services in many of these isolated villages. Recent human incidence is: 2000 (338), 2001 (157), 2002 (163), 2003 (126), 2004 (113), 2005 (50), 2006 (33), 2007 (45), 2008 (45), 2009 (25), and 2010 (15).

For a map of Tajikistan, go to:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwe ... _pol01.jpg.
Rogun:
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/TI/00/Roghun.html;
Kadi-Ob:
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/TI/00/KadiOb.html.
- Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1Kl-.]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, OVINE - GREECE: (LARISSA)
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Date: 9 Aug 2012
Source: EuroSurveillance [edited]
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArt ... leId=20241


Cutaneous infection caused by _Bacillus anthracis_ in Larissa, Thessaly, Central Greece, July 2012 [edited]
--------------------------------------------
A Stefos1, et al. Department of Medicine and Research Laboratory of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Thessaly, Greece

In July 2012, a confirmed case of cutaneous anthrax infection in a stockbreeder in the prefecture of Larissa, Thessaly, Central Greece was reported. The investigation revealed 5 related deaths in animals (2 dogs and 3 sheep). Control measures have been taken immediately in order to prevent further spread in humans and animals.

Epidemiological investigation
The stockbreeder was contaminated after having handled the slaughtered sheep due to direct contact with the infected animal. He had flayed the animal together with his wife and then fed 2 dogs with the contaminated meat. These dogs died during the next day. After 36 hours, the specific anthrax cutaneous lesions appeared on the exposed area of the stockbreeder's skin. Since 7 Jul 2012, 2 more sheep have died in the same herd. No other death occurred in this or any other herd in the same village (Tsabournia).

It can be assumed that the stockbreeder's wife was also exposed to the spores of the infected animal. However, she did not present any signs or symptoms of infection and is now under post-exposure prophylactic treatment.

Control measures
The stockbreeder's wife hasn't developed any symptoms during the maximum incubation period of 15 days but is currently receiving post-exposure prophylaxis. The residents of the village (Tsabournia) have been informed about this case in order to recognise early clinical symptoms of anthrax, and they were advised to seek medical treatment immediately if anthrax was suspected. The local health centre and general practitioners are aware of this need for careful monitoring. Special directions have been given to the stockbreeders of Tsabournia regarding the use of protective equipment. The local Veterinary Authority has taken measures for the correct disposal of animal carcasses, including disinfection of contaminated material and decontamination of the environment. Mass vaccination of 7000 animals is currently in progress.

Background Information
The number of reported human cases remained at around 25 cases per year during a 10-year period (1995-2004) and has since decreased even more (2005: 10 cases, 2006: 16 cases, 2007: 5 cases, 2008: 3 cases, 2009: 14 cases). In the last 4 years, several reports of anthrax infections in heroin drug users have been reported in European countries.

Until 1979, Greece, particularly the northern part of the country, was considered as an enzootic zone for anthrax. Although the number of animal outbreaks between 1970 and 1979 had declined to almost a quarter of that of the previous decade (1960-1969), there were 300 outbreaks a year, mostly involving sheep. During this period, there were 8475 sheep and 1675 bovine losses in 3669 separate outbreaks. During the same period, 482 human anthrax cases occurred in the country, and all patients were from rural areas. The highest incidences were observed in the prefectures of Aetoloakarnania, Evros, Ioannina, Larissa, Rodopy and Thessaloniki. Since then, strict control measures have eliminated the disease, and only sporadic cases in animals and humans have been reported. According to the epidemiological reports from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), only 38 confirmed human cases of anthrax were reported between 1994 and 2010. However, it should be stated that although anthrax is included in the notifiable diseases, and every suspected case should be reported to the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDCP), there is some degree of underreporting, and the low number of reported cases does not allow general conclusions regarding the accurate incidence trend.

Thessaly is a rural region located in Central Greece and includes 4 prefectures (Karditsa, Larissa, Magnesia, Trikala). The estimated number of goats and sheep in this region is above 2 million. The large majority of them (more than one million goats and sheep) are farmed in Larissa prefecture. According to the records of the local Veterinary Authority of Larissa, 3 outbreaks of anthrax have been reported in Larissa in the past 35 years (in 1978, in 2000, and in 2006) (unpublished data). All of them occurred in [flocks] kept in 2 villages (Livadi and Tsabournia) situated at a distance of 35 km from each other in the area of Elassona, Larissa prefecture. Approximately 90 animals were affected in total, and the outbreaks were contained after correct disposal of animal carcasses and vaccination of exposed animals. According to the epidemiological data of the Veterinary Authority, no case of anthrax in animals or humans has ever been declared in the other 3 prefectures of Thessaly.

In 1978, anthrax infection was confirmed in animals of 3 different herds in Tsabournia. However, no human infection has been reported. Vaccination and appropriate control measures have been taken; since then until the incident described here, no other anthrax case in animals or in humans has been reported.

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[In the past few years, the human incidence in rural Greece has fallen to modest numbers, at last. For too long, the livestock and human incidence in Greece was far too high. They are to be congratulated. But it is a fragile situation and could easily revert to what it was, and out of sight of the authorities if the disease is under-reported. One of the problems with sheep diseases is that conditions are missed, and control can be slack because sheep are perceived to be kept by the poor and not the rich, by women and not by men. Disease control responses are seldom triggered by the single sheep, or 2 or 3, found dead, and then one is behind the curve.

Dogs are normally fairly resistant to this disease, but cases occur as probably in this instance, when the 2 dogs had access to the viscera of the butchered sheep. Traditionally, we used to see canine anthrax in retired foxhounds kept by the hunt staff. The fox hunts depend(ed) [the present situation of fox hunting in the UK is obscured] on dead stock contributed by the local farmers. And these carcasses would be butchered by the huntsmen and fed to the pack of hounds. In the US, it has occurred when a veterinarian necropsying a carcass hasn't tied up his dog, essentially the same circumstances. - Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1Gzi.]

ANTHRAX, WILDLIFE - SOUTH AFRICA: (KRUGER NATIONAL PARK)
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Date: 29 Aug 2012
Source: IOL Scitech [edited]
http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/en ... D5M_cEaOSo


An outbreak of anthrax has killed 30 Roan antelopes in the Kruger National Park. Spokesman William Mabasa said the carcasses were found at the weekend in an enclosure created for breeding. He said the park was trying to contain the situation.

"We are burning the carcasses and also vaccinating the other animals." He said the Roan antelope was a rare species. The park had about 100 before the outbreak.

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[Anthrax is an enzootic problem in the Kruger National Park and has been there for decades. They work hard to identify carcasses and burn them whenever and wherever.

While roan antelope may be increasingly scarce in the wild, they are bred on wildlife ranches but subject there to tourist hunters. See:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... n-antelope,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roan_antelope,
http://www.africanskyhunting.co.za/trop ... nting.html.

Kruger National Park:
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruger_National_Park. - Mod MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/3dyq.]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - KYRGYZSTAN
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Date: 30 Aug 2012
Source: Ria Novosti [edited]
http://sp.rian.ru/health/20120830/154842930.html


The Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan on Thursday [30 Aug 2012] reported an outbreak of anthrax in the republic. "Nine people have been hospitalized in the last month in Kyrgyzstan with symptoms of anthrax; in 5 cases, the diagnosis was confirmed," said center director, Jalalidan Gaibulin.

Some outbreaks of the disease were detected in the northern and southern regions of the republic. One case occurred in Bishkek. A woman had been selling infected beef in the largest market in the capital.

Currently, inspections are carried out in all markets and shops in Bishkek where meat and other livestock products are sold. Epidemiologists performed additional vaccinations of animals. Also, immunoglobulin injections were given to people who were exposed.

According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health, there are 1219 natural anthrax foci in the republic [i.e. places where infected animals have been buried. - Mod.MHJ]

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[Anthrax is commonly diagnosed in parts of northern Kyrgyzstan and also in Osh a Jalalabad in SE Kyrgyzstan when it overflows from Uzbekistan in the Fergana Valley.

The rapid field slaughter and butchering by stockmen overseeing village cattle on common grazing and then returning the hides, meat and viscera to the owner(s) is how this contaminated meat finds its way to local markets. It is a long tradition uninterrupted by science. Until the government puts a proactive control and surveillance programme in place, it will continue.

Maps of Kyrgyzstan can be seen at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwe ... pol_05.jpg and http://healthmap.org/r/1rTo. - Mod.MHJ]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - KYRGYZSTAN (02): RUSSIAN PRECAUTIONS
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Date: 3 Sep 2012
Source: Radio Free Europe [edited]
http://www.rferl.org/content/russian-ar ... 96779.html


Russia's military officials say that efforts to prevent an anthrax epidemic have been increased at a Russian air base in Kyrgyzstan because of an outbreak of anthrax nearby.

Officials from Russia's Central Military District say one of the outbreaks is within 20 km of the Kant Air Base in Kyrgyzstan's northern region of Chui. He says all military buildings on the base -- including apartments for officers and their families -- have been disinfected, and safety checks on food supplies have been increased.

The move was undertaken after Kyrgyz health officials announced last week that several cases of anthrax had been confirmed in Chui and in the southern regions of Jalal-abad and Batken.

[Based on reporting by RIA-Novosti and ITAR-TASS]

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[A logical precaution, as contaminated meat was found in Bishkek, which is in Chui; see: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwe ... pol_05.jpg. - Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1HT*.]

ANTHRAX, WILDLIFE - SOUTH AFRICA (02): (KRUGER NATIONAL PARK)
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Date: Tue 4 Sep 2012
Source: South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) [edited]
http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/9ad802004c ... e-20120409


The Kruger National Park [KNP] is recovering from an outbreak of anthrax, which occurred earlier this year [2012]. The waterborne disease mostly affected buffaloes. [Read on for explanation. - Mod.MHJ]

The park last experienced a similar outbreak in 2010 and this time it had a negative effect on visitors. The park's northern section manager Ben van Eeden says they have now purified the affected water sources. The Kruger Park receives just under 300 000 tourists a year.

At the same time, the Limpopo Tourism Agency says it aims to use this month [September 2012] to increase the number of domestic visitors to all tourist destinations, this as the country is observing Tourism Month.

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[The outbreak in roan antelope appears to be over, and from this report has been replaced by buffaloes dying.

For those puzzled by the comment above about water being a source of infection, the following should be of interest: "While most animals are susceptible to the disease, kudu, waterbuck, roan antelope, and buffalo are more vulnerable to infection due to their feeding habits. Birds cannot be affected, but vultures, especially, are known as carriers of the spore. After feeding on an infected carcass, vultures wash themselves and defecate in shallow, stagnant pools and so shed millions of spores in the water where the spores then usually settle at the bottom of the pool. The herd activity of buffalo in these pools stirs the spores to the surface where, mostly the bigger bulls drink. This year (2010), notably half of the number of carcasses found was buffalo." [see ProMED-mail 20101105.4011]

This was 1st noted in Namibia about 50 years ago with small ponds and cattle troughs getting contaminated, and later confirmed in South African parks. The problem appeared when the park authorities installed water troughs to delay the seasonal migration out of the park (and away from tourists) at the beginning of the dry season. And vultures will fly fair distances, up to 10 km (6.2 mi), to bathe at a preferred site. We, Jason Blackburn and myself, have noted the same risk of contaminated sediment in water troughs in west Texas, where the turkey buzzards would have bathed themselves after feeding on the infected cow carcass laid out nearby. However it is a temporary contamination lasting probably only a few months, that is, 12 months later it was negative.

A good brief review of anthrax in the KNP is provided on their website at http://www.krugersafari.com/anthrax.html:
"Anthrax is an acute fatal bacterial disease with almost worldwide distribution. Outbreaks tend to occur in cycles of between 5 and 20 years, and the Lowveld is no exception. In the past, the Kruger National Park has experienced several major epidemics of this disease, which were documented in the early 1960s, early 1970s, and again in the early 1990s. All mammals (including man) are susceptible, but some (such as kudu and buffalo) are more vulnerable than others. To date, mortalities have been confirmed in 9 species. The disease is spread to water points by scavengers, and vegetation is contaminated by blow flies. Resistant bacterial spores may remain dormant in the soil for many years, until certain environmental factors trigger another outbreak. In most species, the major clinical sign of anthrax is a sudden death, and frequently, dark tarry blood leaks from one or more of the body openings. Lions may become infected when feeding on anthrax carcasses, and in infected lions, the head and face are frequently swollen. Although this disease is invariably fatal, history has shown that anthrax functions as a natural population control mechanism in wildlife, with minimal risk of species extinction." - Mod.MHJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/3dyq.]