Published Date: 2009-01-16 18:00:42
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax, human, livestock - Zimbabwe
Archive Number: 20090116.0187

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - ZIMBABWE
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Date: 13 Jan 2009
Source: SW Radio Africa/Physicians for Human Rights [edited]
<http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/physiciansreport130109.htm>


Current health crisis: anthrax
------------------------------
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported some 200 human cases of
anthrax since November 2008 with 8 confirmed deaths. These cases were
attributed to the ingestion of animals (cattle and goats) that had died of
anthrax. Zimbabweans avoid eating animals that have died of disease, but
these cases appear to [have] occurred in starving rural people scavenging
carrion.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) was told that veterinary anthrax control
programs in Zimbabwe, which had included regular monthly control programs,
have been dramatically curtailed in the economic collapse. The surviving
herds are now much more vulnerable to infectious diseases.

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[Seen against the larger canvas the anthrax problem is trivial unless one
accepts that with the breakdown of human and veterinary health services the
available data is but a fraction of reality; in the late 1970s there were
some 10 000 human cases of anthrax in the country due to wet weather and a
breakdown in the delivery of veterinary services thanks to the civil
insurgency.

The above came from the PHR Executive Summary of the report. Other links:
<http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/report-2009-01-13.html>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaXowZh-XCM>.

A search of the PHR full report (see pages 31-32)
<http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/documents/reports/2009-health-in-ruins-zim-full.pdf>
revealed the the following comment in WHO source document below from which
the PHR segment was based:

"According to WHO figures, there have been 200 human cases of anthrax
reported since November 2008, with 8 deaths. Consumption of contaminated
meat is a possible cause." ex WHO Zimbabwe Health Cluster Bulletin No 2 -
12 December 2008
<http://www.who.int/hac/crises/zmb/sitreps/health_cluster_bulletin_12dec2008/en/>.

PHR also comments: "PHR was also told that veterinary anthrax control
programs in Zimbabwe, which had included regular monthly dipping programs
for cattle, have been dramatically curtailed in the economic collapse. The
results in the veterinary sector are that dipping and vaccination of
livestock have largely ceased and the surviving herds are much more
vulnerable to infectious diseases." There is little that one can add.

The OIE Timelines information only covers 2005 & 2007:
<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=disease_timelines> - Mod.MHJ]

See Also

2008
---
Anthrax, bovine, human - Zimbabwe (02): (MN) 20081201.3774
Anthrax, bovine, human - Zimbabwe (MN) 20081128.3751
Anthrax, wildlife - Zimbabwe: (MW) 20081124.3706
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (03): Matabeleland north 20081117.3631
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (02): Matabeleland north 20081116.3621
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West) 20080926.3045
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe: (Matabeleland N) 20080527.1724
2007
---
Anthrax - Zimbabwe (Mazowe): RFI 20071021.3435
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East) 20070206.0473
Anthrax, livestock - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East, Masvingo) 20070111.0127
2007
---
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East) 20061220.3572
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East) 20061207.3454
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West) 20061018.2995
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (Matabeleland) 20060430.1256
Anthrax, livestock - Zimbabwe (Buhera & Chivu) 20060124.0238
2006
---
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Masvingo)(04) 20051120.3374
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (Harare) 20050624.1773
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Masvingo)(03) 20050614.1662
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Masvingo)(02) 20050126.0285
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Masvingo) 20050119.0184
2005
---
Anthrax, livestock - Zimbabwe (NE)(02) 20041201.3212
Anthrax, livestock - Zimbabwe (NE) 20041127.3170
Anthrax - Africa: Zambia, Zimbabwe 20040928.2682
Anthrax, wildlife - Zimbabwe (South East) 20040927.2665
Anthrax, wildlife - Zimbabwe (Masvingo) 20040914.2562
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (Masvingo)(02) 20040216.0514
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (Masvingo) 20040113.0134
2003
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Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (Masvingo) 20031216.3076
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (Chiweshe) 20031024.2667
2002
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Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (02):correction 20021106.5734
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (02) 20021105.5720
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe 20020704.4667
2001
---
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (02) 20011030.2676
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe 20010118.0147
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (03) 20001224.2272
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe (02) 20001219.2226
Anthrax, human & livestock - Zimbabwe 20001216.2204
1999
---
Anthrax, human - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland) 19970821.1754

....................mhj/ejp/sh


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