August 25 Outbreaks - ahead/ILIAD

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August 2000
Outbreak
Outbreak – Anthrax

USA (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Nevada - cattle, horses)

Canada (Alberta - wood bison, black bears; Manitoba - cattle)

Romania (Danube Delta - cattle, pigs, horses)

Kazakhstan (South - cattle, human)

Thailand (Phichit - sheep, goats, human)

Mongolia - livestock, human

The ubiquitous nature of anthrax has been illustrated during the past 60 days in outbreaks reported from around the world, including the United States. The disease can lie dormant for decades (recent research in South Africa suggests even for centuries) as well-armored spores in the earth, just waiting for an climatological event or construction project to launch them into action. The vagrant epidemiology of anthrax, and its worldwide endemic status, must be factored into discussions of its use as a biological weapon, and the suggestion that all anthrax outbreaks should be viewed as BW events until proved otherwise is totally lacking in veterinary science reality.

Reasons given for the outbreaks reported here range from (1) interrupted or incomplete vaccination programs; (2) surreptitious transport of infected animals from one location to another, even one country to another; (3) heavy rains that bring spores to the ground surface; (4) failed quarantine response and (4) interactions between wild and domesticated stock. Anthrax is a "List B" disease under the World Animal Health Organization (OIE). Unlike "List A" diseases, which must be reported to the OIE within 48 hours, anthrax is normally reported only once each year. "List B" diseases are "transmissible diseases which are considered to be of socio-economic and/or public health importance within countries and which are significant in the international trade of animals and animal products".

Readers should keep in mind that numbers of wild animals reported may not be as accurate as those for domesticated animals, since the numbers are generated by the discovery of carcasses in parks and other patrolled wildlife areas. Also, see: Basic Anthrax Facts

USA:

North Dakota Red River Valley (Grand Forks, Trail, Griggs and Steele counties) – 80 animals - cattle and horses dead (as of August 25)

South Dakota (Clark and Day counties) 9 confirmed cattle deaths
Nebraska (northeast section) suspected, but not confirmed
Nevada (Washoe County 100 miles northeast of Reno) – 32 cows dead on one ranch (as of August 21)

Minnesota (Pemina and Roseau counties) – at least 10 cows and one yearling dead

CANADA:

Wood Bison National Park (northeastern section of Alberta province) – 93 bison and 3 black bears (as of August 10) [Wood bison are classified as an endangered species.]

Manitoba, Stuartburn municipality adjacent to North Dakota and Minnesota, 25 cattle

ROMANIA:
Danube Delta village (not specified) – 70 cows, horses and pigs. Seven human cases, one fatality. (As of July 20)

KAZAKHSTAN:
South Kazakhstan Region – 31 human cases. No report on number of animals (as of August 18)

THAILAND:
Phichit Province (near border with Myanmar) – no number of animals reported, but perhaps as many as 100 sheep. 21 human cases, thought to have been caused by consumption of diseased goat meat (as of July 1)

MONGOLIA
Lun County (80 miles from Ulan Bator) and 4 Other Areas - 2 human cases, tens of thousands of animals