Important basis in prevention and control of anthrax

Recently were published 5 cases of cutaneous anthrax in people from the same family. What happened? As usual, a producer saw an ill cow which was dying. In order not to waste it, he decided to consume at least its meat. So he and other 4 members of his family killed the cow. They gave some meat to over 40 people, as they stated.

Conclusion: after a few days, that people who killed the cow showed typical spots with dark expression and suffered high temperatures.

Fortunately, an ancient pharmacist from a neighbor village diagnosed correctly the disease they were suffering, so that he prescribed them injectable penicillin in order to avoid complications. 

This disease had already presented 30 years ago in the same place, and probably removal actions of land helped its resurgence.

The Official Service constantly offers conferences about sanitary education to the people related to livestock directly or indirectly, according to endemic zones.

Despite of having informed people about the place where not to send livestock to graze, during a visit realized 3 weeks later we could see a couple of cattle grazing there.

The news about the 5 people who got ill was known quickly by all the population so everybody related to livestock sector asked to be vaccinated immediately. This is the positive side of these cases, but it is not the ideal one…

In one occasion a person died due to anthrax and that caused the 100% vaccination coverage in the district.

We insist on the importance of the coordination between sanitary authorities responsible for people’s health and the responsible for animal sanity.

It is important that doctors are experienced in zoonosic diseases that may be identified with the rural population’s necessities, and take necessary and urgent actions that anthrax cases requires in human beings.  Furthermore it is necessary that they also educate people in order to prevent this serious disease.

So far, anthrax is a zoonosis that still affects in South America and most rural population ignore its dangerousness. We also have to keep doing our sanitary educational labour, and  livestock responsible and producers must be aware of the importance of their animal vaccination, as well as the immunization cost is minimum comparing to an antibiotic treatment for a person affected by anthrax