Health Minister of Kerala, Veena George, recently confirmed the outbreak of Anthrax in Athirappilly of Thrissur district, after finding several carcasses of wild boar.
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease, which is caused by spore-forming bacteria.
It has usually been found in southern states of India. It is less frequently found in northern states.
The disease has been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Orissa and Karnataka.
Anthrax is also called as woolsorters disease or malignant pustule. It is a rare but serious disease, caused due to rod-shaped bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. These bacteria occur naturally in Soil. As per WHO, Anthrax is a disease of herbivores, affecting wild as well as domestic animals. It is a zoonotic disease; thus, it is transmissible from animals to humans. There are some cases of person-to-person transmission. However, it is a rare phenomenon.
Humans get infected with Anthrax disease directly or indirectly from animals or animal products. They get infected when spores enter the body, through eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, breathing, or through scrapes or cuts in the skin. After entering the body, spores get activated and start multiplying & spreading in body.