Zimbabwe anthrax outbreak kills 128 animals in Gonarezhou National Park
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) reports an anthrax outbreak in Gonarezhou National Park, in southeastern Zimbabwe.
To date, officials say at least 128 animals have died—including four elephants, 38 kudus and 75 buffaloes, and others, since the beginning of the outbreak on August 19.
Zimparks are encouraging tourists against contact with the carcasses.
Zimparks is taking measures to contain the outbreak, including collecting and disposing of carcasses to prevent further spread and consumption by predators. Surveillance has been conducted at 33 dip tanks adjacent to the park, with no reported deaths in livestock.
Anthrax is a noncontagious zoonotic disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It is most common in wild and domestic herbivores (eg, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and antelopes) but can also be seen in humans exposed to tissue from infected animals, to contaminated animal products, or under certain conditions, directly to B anthracis spores.
Spores of B anthracis can remain viable in soil for many years. During this time, they are a potential source of infection for grazing animals; however, they generally do not represent a direct risk of infection for people. Grazing animals may become infected when they ingest sufficient quantities of spores from the soil. In addition to direct transmission, biting flies may mechanically transmit B anthracis spores from one animal to another.
Anthrax has been reported on nearly every continent and is most common in agricultural regions with neutral or alkaline, calcareous soils. In these regions, anthrax epizootics periodically emerge among susceptible domesticated and wild animals. These epizootics are usually associated with drought, flooding, or soil disturbance, and many years may pass between outbreaks.