What is Anthrax, the infectious disease found in Kerala?
What is Anthrax?
- Anthrax, also known as malignant pustule or woolsorter’s disease, is a rare but serious disease caused by the rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis.
- It occurs naturally in soil and, according to the WHO it is primarily a disease of herbivores, with both domestic and wild animals being affected by it.
- Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it is naturally transmissible from animals (usually vertebrae) to humans. People can get the disease through contact with infected animals or animal products that are contaminated with bacteria.
- According to the WHO, Anthrax is generally regarded as non-contagious. There have been instances of person-to-person transmission, however, such instances are extremely rare.
How do animals get Anthrax?
- Domestic and wild animals can get infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants or water..
How do humans get infected?
- Humans almost always contract the disease directly or indirectly from animals or animal products.
- People get infected with anthrax when spores enter the body, through breathing, eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water, or through cuts or scrapes in the skin.
- Humans can acquire the disease by handling carcasses, bones, wool, hides or other products from infected animals.
- People that deal with animals can get cutaneous anthrax when spores from the enter through cuts or scrapes on the skin. They can also get inhalation anthrax, by inhaling spores present on the wool, hide or hair of the animal.
- Ingesting raw or undercooked meat from infected animals can get people sick with gastrointestinal anthrax.
- People that are most at risk of contracting the disease are people that work with animals, such as farmers, veterinarians, livestock handlers, wool sorters and laboratory professionals, according to the National Health Portal.
What are the symptoms of Anthrax?
- In livestock species, like cattle, sheep or goats, the first sign is usually the sudden death of one or two animals within the herd. Prior to their death, they might show signs of high fever.
- In wildlife, sudden death is also a usual indicator, often accompanied by bloody discharge from natural orifices (mouth, nose, ear, anus), bloating, incomplete rigour mortis and the absence of clotting of the blood, according to WHO.
How can it be treated?
- Antibiotic therapy that is administered early in the course of the infection has been proven to be responsive, according to the WHO.
- Penicillin has long been the antibiotic of choice and in recent years, ciprofloxacin and doxycycline have also been used as alternatives.
- One way to prevent the disease is by vaccination of livestock so that the disease cannot spread. There are also vaccines for humans, but their availability is usually restricted to at-risk individuals, such as lab workers and people who handle animals.
Reference
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