Health officials in Igembe, Meru County have issued a warning to the public concerning consuming uninspected meat after four people died from anthrax in Nyambene.
Image/CDC
Igembe Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) James Kosgei said, “During this festive season a lot of slaughtering takes place both in designated abattoirs and in homesteads but both should seek the services of relevant veterinary offices before consuming the meat else we may be faced with serious issues since anthrax is a deadly disease”.
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is most common in wild and domestic animals but can also be seen in humans exposed to tissue from infected animals, contaminated animal products or directly to B anthracis spores under certain conditions.
Depending on the route of infection, host factors, and potentially strain-specific factors, anthrax can have several different clinical presentations. In herbivores, anthrax commonly presents as an acute septicemia with a high fatality rate, often accompanied by hemorrhagic lymphadenitis.
B. anthracis spores can remain infective in soil for many years. During this time, they are a potential source of infection for grazing livestock. Grazing animals may become infected when they ingest sufficient quantities of these spores from the soil. In addition to direct transmission, biting flies may mechanically transmit B. anthracis spores from one animal to another.
People can get anthrax by handling contaminated animal or animal products, consuming undercooked meat of infected animals and more recently, intentional release of spores.
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anthrax an acute infectious disease of farm animals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which can be transmitted to humans by contact with animal hair, hides, or excrement. In humans the disease attacks either the lungs, causing pneumonia, or the skin, producing severe ulceration (known as malignant pustule). Woolsorter’s disease is a serious infection of the skin or lungs by B. anthracis, affecting those handling wool or pelts (see occupational disease). Untreated anthrax can be fatal but administration of large doses of penicillin or tetracycline is usually effective.