HEALTH
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. It occurs naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals around the world. People can get sick with anthrax if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. Anthrax can cause severe illness in both humans and animals.
What are some of the major Geographical, behavioural and epidemiological factors that trigger Anthrax outbreaks worldwide?
Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, central and south-western Asia, southern and eastern Europe, and the Caribbean.
For countries with clear animal vaccination programs, anthrax is more prevalent and outbreaks are often more sporadic in occurrence. In the United States, veterinarians recommend yearly vaccination of livestock in areas where animals have had anthrax in the past.
Anthrax is NOT contagious. You cannot catch anthrax from another person the way you might catch a cold or the flu. In rare cases, person-to-person transmission has been reported with cutaneous anthrax, where discharges from skin lesions might be infectious.
The first cases (Point sources/index cases) in most cases are easily traceable and related to very risky occupations that involve having worked with infected animals or animal products.
While reviewing sporadic out breaks documented in Africa, I have made an observation that the index cases had something to do with eating raw or undercooked meat from infected domestic animals. These meats are from dead animals for which the owners in the community don’t want to throw away due to fear of economic losses. They end up selling the meats cheaply to the unsuspecting community members. The other common practice linked to index cases is hunting of wild game, eg the deers, antelopes etc which may be already infected with the anthrax bacteria. Consumption of raw or undercooked (half roasted) meat from infected animals usually lead to gastrointestinal anthrax. This form of anthrax occurs commonly in countries where livestock are not routinely vaccinated against anthrax and food animals are not inspected prior to slaughter.
In Europe the major point sources are from people who are exposed while working with infected animals or animal products such as wool, hides, or hair, Inhalation anthrax can occur when a person inhales spores that are in the air (aerosolized) during the industrial processing of contaminated materials, such as wool, hides, or hair. Cutaneous anthrax can occur when workers who handle contaminated animal products get spores in a cut or scrape Anthraxon their skin.
A newly discovered type of anthrax is injection anthrax. This type of anthrax has been seen in northern Europe in people injecting heroin.
Domestic and wild animals can become infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water. These animals can include cattle, sheep, goats, antelope, and deer. In areas where domestic animals have had anthrax in the past, routine vaccination can help prevent outbreaks.
Signs and symptoms of anthrax
The symptoms of anthrax depend on the type of infection and can take anywhere from 1 day to more than 2 months to appear. All types of anthrax have the potential, if untreated, to spread throughout the body and cause severe illness and even death.
Cutaneous anthrax: A group of small blisters or bumps that may itch, Swelling can occur around the sore, A painless skin sore (ulcer) with a black center that appears after the small blisters or bumps, Most often the sore will be on the face, neck, arms, or hand.
Inhalation anthrax; Fever and chills, Chest Discomfort, Shortness of breath, Confusion or dizziness, Cough, Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains, Headache, Sweats (often drenching), Extreme tiredness, Body aches
Gastrointestinal anthrax:Fever and chills, Swelling of neck or neck glands, Sore throat, Painful swallowing, Hoarseness, Nausea and vomiting, especially bloody vomiting, Diarrhoea or bloody diarrhoea, Headache, Flushing (red face) and red eyes, Stomach pain, Fainting, Swelling of abdomen (stomach)
Injection anthrax: Fever and chills, A group of small blisters or bumps that may itch, appearing where the drug was injected, A painless skin sore with a black centre that appears after the blisters or bumps, Swelling around the sore, Abscesses deep under the skin or in the muscle where the drug was injected
Anthrax prevention tips
It’s much safe to avoid butchering animals that have died worse still during an outbreak. Do not even directly touch dead animals without protective gears. Hand washing significantly reduces the risk of contracting disease especially with accidental contacts with infected animal or animal products. All animals should be routinely vaccinated. The veterinarians should be able to treat the sick ones with appropriate antibiotics followed by vaccinations there after (About 2 weeks after treatment). Quarantine animals to separate the sick from well animals. Dead animals should be buried 6 feet deep into the ground.
Anthrax patients are treated and have significant higher chances of cure with prompt interventions with in a designated treatment centres.
The writer, Mr. Nuwahereza Innocent is a public health specialist (Epidemiologist).He spans a lot of experience from front line clinical practice from the remotest communities. He holds the following academic credentials ( C.MED, DDU, Bsc.PH, Msc. Epid & an MBA).He is the CEO MINC PUBLIC HEALTH CONSULTANTS (u) LTD, The MINC COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTERS AND LABORATORIES.
