Published Date: 1999-07-29 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax, human, cattle - Armenia (Armavir)
Archive Number: 19990729.1280

ANTHRAX - ARMENIA (ARMAVIR)
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See Also

Anthrax, human, cattle - Ukraine 990723213644
Anthrax, human - Kyrgystan 990726220827
Anthrax, human - Russia (Buryatia) 990713221800
Anthrax, human - Russia (Buryatia) (04) 990719221904
Dtae: Thu 29 Jul 1999
From: ProMED-mail
Source: Snark news agency, Yerevan [in Russian Tue 27 Jul 1999

Eight infected with anthrax in Armenia
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In Armenia's Armavir District 8 people are in hospital with anthrax, the
Armenian deputy health minister and chief medical officer of the republic,
Vladimir Davidyants, told journalists today.
He said that on 18 July [1999 a resident of Maisyan village in Armavir
District went to hospital complaining of a high temperature and with sores
on his hands. Tests confirmed the diagnosis of anthrax. It turned out that
the patient kept cattle. He had killed one and sold it off to his
fellow-villagers. The meat did not leave the village, but 3 residents of
this village fell victim to anthrax.
On 21 July a resident of Oktomber village in Armavir District went to
hospital with the same symptoms. Subsequently a diagnosis of anthrax was
confirmed. Events took the same course in Oktomber village as in Maisyan.
Three residents of Oktomber were also hospitalized.
Davidyants noted that the patients' health was satisfactory and they were in
no danger. He said that they had been treated within the framework of state
law (free of charge), and the hospitals were fully equipped with the
relevant medicines.
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ProMED-mail
<promed@usa.healthnet.org>
[The circumstances are hard to interpret as anthrax is usually discovered as
a result of sudden death in cattle. It is therefore not improbable that at
least one other animal was dead from anthrax before the sick animal was
killed in Maisyan, if the report is correct; but Armenia is a Christian
country and Christians can eat dead animals -- Muslims, sensibly, refuse.
The rapid recovery of all involved would suggest that all had cutaneous
anthrax from butchering the affected animals.
I would expect to shortly hear similar reports from nearby western Turkey. -
MHJ
[The last time we mentioned this cultural difference in eating habits we
received a flame from a reader who accused us of being religious bigots. We
are not, and bigotry doesn´t enter into it -- different eating habits lead
to different public health consequences - Mod.JW
................................................mhj/jw
--
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