Anthrax cases reported in Uvs province, Mongolia
The Mongolia National Centre for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD) is reporting two human cases of anthrax in the western Mongolian province of Uvs.
The two cases, a 32-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman from Zuungovi soum (subdivision), being treated at the Uvs province general hospital in critical condition.
The cases were confirmed by the molecular biology (PCR) analysis conducted on November 7, 2024, at the Uvs province's health center. In the region where the disease has been reported, a team led by the Ministry of Health, together with the Veterinary Hospital, the Department of Emergency Situations, and the Special Ammunition Commission, is organizing response measures at the interdisciplinary level.
It is reported the man contracted the disease after slaughtering a cow that had been suffering from an undetermined illness, while the woman was infected after consuming meat from the same animal.
Nine other people who were close to the sick animal were in isolation at the hospital under the observation of doctors.
The soum has been partially quarantined indefinitely due to the outbreak.
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Anthrax is a bacterial pathogen (Bacillus anthracis) in livestock and wild animals. Ruminants such as bison, cattle, sheep and goats are highly susceptible, and horses can also be infected.
Anthrax is a very serious disease of livestock because it can potentially cause the rapid loss of a large number of animals in a very short time. Affected animals are often found dead with no illness detected.
When conditions become favorable, the spores germinate into colonies of bacteria. An example would be a grazing cow ingests spores that in the cow, germinate, grow spread and eventually kill the animal. Anthrax is caused by the bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. This spore forming bacteria can survive in the environment for decades because of its ability to resist heat, cold, drying, etc. This is usually the infectious stage of anthrax.
There are no reports of person-to-person transmission of anthrax. People get anthrax by handling contaminated animal or animal products, consuming undercooked meat of infected animals and more recently, intentional release of spores.
There are three types of human anthrax with differing degrees of seriousness: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation.