Published Date: 2010-08-28 11:00:04
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax, human, ovine - Russia: (DA)
Archive Number: 20100828.3059

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, OVINE - RUSSIA: (DAGESTAN)
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Date: Sat 28 Aug 2010
Source: RIA Novosti [edited]
<http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100828/160370723.html>


A spokesman for the regional emergencies service told RIA Novosti
that 2 residents of a remote farmstead in Russia's North Caucasus
Republic of Dagestan have been diagnosed with anthrax.

"The patients are 2 men, born in 1957 and 1967. They are now in
satisfactory condition," the source said. The 2 men contracted the
disease after eating an anthrax-infected sheep.

A total of 4 people also living at the farmstead have been vaccinated
against the disease and received prevention treatment. Their health
is now being monitored, and none developed symptoms so far.

All sheep at the farm have been quarantined for a month. No other
cases of the disease have been detected.

[Byline: Alexei Kudenko]

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[I suspect that these 2 farm workers were in fact afflicted with
cutaneous anthrax, not gastroenteric anthrax. 2 men on a remote
Caucasus farmstead would probably not survive long enough to reach
the local medical clinic with the enteric form of this disease, much
less respond well to treatment. On the other hand the skin form is
easier to diagnose and its risks are less. Plus cutaneous anthrax is
about 100 times commoner.

I had a query as to whether we were getting more reports than usual
of anthrax and thus maybe indicative of climate change. I doubt it.
This disease is routinely under-diagnosed, much less missed being
noted at all in deep rural areas. If this outbreak had not involved 2
human cases the ovine problem would have been probably ignored.
Individual sheep deaths are virtually invisible. - Mod MHJ]

[Dagestan is the southernmost part of Russia and can be located on
the map at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagestan>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Russia is available at
<http://healthmap.org/r/03YD>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

See Also

1999
----
Anthrax - Russia (Dagestan) 19991016.1839
...................................mhj/mj/mpp

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