Anthrax outbreak reported in Kalinga province in the northern Philippines
Five cases linked to the consumption of carabao meat
In the landlocked province of Kalinga in the Cordillera Administrative Region on the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines, officials with Department of Health (DOH)-Cordillera report an anthrax outbreak in one barangay (village).
The cases happened on Oct. 2 but was only reported to the DOH-Cordillera on Oct. 18.
There were five cases linked to the consumption of carabao meat. The meat is said to have been butchered eight hours after the animal died.
One case was lab-confirmed for Bacillus anthracis, while the others were considered positive based on symptoms.
Among the 40 people who consumed the meat, only those directly handling the animal showed infection. All five cases have recovered, and 35 others are under monitoring.
Laboratory tests conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture also showed that the grass and the soil where the animal grazes have the spores of the anthrax bacteria.
DOH Nurse III and focal person for emerging and reemerging infectious diseases Kristine Gale Raguindin said advised the public not to consume “double dead” meat or the carcass of animals that died from a disease as the meat can potentially transmit the disease to humans.
Anthrax is endemic in the Philippines and generally affects livestock such as carabaos.
Anthrax is a bacterial pathogen 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.
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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.