Anthrax outbreak in Kerala

What is anthrax disease?

• 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 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. 
• 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.
• Domestic and wild animals can get infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants or water.
• Host animals shed the bacteria into the ground, which sporulates when exposed to the air. 
• These spores, which can persist in the soil for decades, wait to be taken up by another host, subsequently germinating and multiplying, leading to its spread. 
• Flies also appear to play a significant role in explosive outbreaks of the disease.
• Herbivorous animals can get the disease through contaminated soil and feed, while omnivorous and carnivorous animals get infected through contaminated meat, bones and other feeds. 
• Wild animals get sick through feeding on anthrax-infected carcasses.
• 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. 
• The spores then get “activated” and multiply, spreading across the body, producing toxins and causing severe illness.
• Humans can acquire the disease by handling carcasses, bones, wool, hides or other products from infected animals. 
• 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.
• Anthrax has usually been found in India’s southern states and is less frequently found in the northern states. 
• Over the past years, it has been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Orissa and Karnataka.

The symptoms & treatment of Anthrax-

• In livestock species, like cattle, sheep or goats, the first sign is usually the high fever and sudden death of one or two animals within the herd. 
• 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.
• In humans, cutaneous anthrax symptoms can include groups of small blisters that may itch, painless skin sores with a black centre, with the possibility of swelling around them. This is the most common route of the disease and is seldom fatal.
• Inhalation anthrax includes fever and chills, shortness of breath, coughing and nausea to name a few. It’s the most deadly form of the disease and can lead to death within 2-3 days. 
• Lastly, gastrointestinal anthrax symptoms can include nausea and vomiting (with blood), swelling of the neck, stomach pain and diarrhoea.
• Antibiotic therapy that is administered early in the course of the infection has been proven to be responsive.
• 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.