Anthrax
In early May this year, Thailand reported its first anthrax-related death in more than 30 years after five cases of it were reported in Mukdahan, which is the northeastern province of Thailand. The disease is zoonotic and is caused by spore-forming bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. The outbreak started with four cases of cutaneous anthrax. One of the male patients who participated in the slaughter of a cow died of the infection after undergoing severe symptoms and lymph node swelling. The other three patients were put on a 10-day course of antibiotics and were discharged from the hospital afterwards.
Source of the Outbreak
All four cases were linked to the slaughter and handling of cattle during local events that happened in April. The meat from the butchered cow was distributed to villagers in the Don Tan district of Thailand. The fifth case of this disease was confirmed on May 28th and was also linked to the cattle slaughter.
Health officials collected samples from knives, cutting boards, beef, and soil to test for the bacteria. All the material collected tested positive for Bacillus anthracis, which confirmed that the disease was transmitted through cattle.
Health Response and Prevention
636 people were identified as being at risk through contact tracing. All of them were related to the cattle, through direct involvement in the slaughter or consuming the animal meat. These people were given a post-exposure prophylaxis and were monitored for some time.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives have started responding. They have disinfected high-risk households and established drug distribution centers. They have quarantined and treated cattle herds with penicillin and vaccinated other animals around the cattle.
The Risks
Cutaneous anthrax causes 95% of anthrax cases worldwide and happens because of contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. Human-to-human contact is very rare, and the disease mostly happens with human-to-animal contact.
Anthrax spores can survive in the environment for a long time, which makes it important to clean areas where sick animals have lived. The infections usually begin with a small bump that becomes a painless sore.
Public Response
The World Health Organization and organizations in Thailand have been working to control the disease. Some countries surrounding Thailand have temporarily stopped animal product imports from Thailand to prevent the spread further.
Officials are encouraging the public to avoid consuming raw meat and report unexplained animal deaths to stop the virus from spreading even further. People are also being told to ensure personal hygiene when interacting with livestock. The community in Thailand has started to recover, and this issue highlights the importance of precaution when interacting with animals in everyday life.
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