19 December 2023
By: Lloyd Phillips
Amid the worst anthrax outbreak since 2011 in Zambia, which has also spread to Zimbabwe, South African livestock farmers are urged to vaccinate their livestock, in the interests of both animal and human health.
South Africa’s owners of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are being advised to prioritise vaccinating their livestock against the deadly anthrax disease if they have not already done so in the past 12 months. This comes in the wake of five other African countries, including neighbouring Zimbabwe, recording anthrax outbreaks in both livestock and people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that although anthrax-causing bacteria (Bacillus anthracis) is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, with seasonal outbreaks every year in predominantly wildlife and livestock, Zambia is currently experiencing its largest outbreak among its human population since 2011.
According to South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, anthrax is an acute infectious disease. Animals become infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water. Humans are at risk of infection when exposed to the bacterial spores in the environment or through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
“[Over] 1 166 suspected and [over] 37 confirmed cases [of anthrax in humans], and 20 related deaths, have been recorded in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe [since the start of 2023]. Nine of Zambia’s ten provinces are affected,” a statement by the WHO says. Among Zambia’s human population, the potentially deadly zoonotic disease has caused more than 684 suspected and 25 confirmed infections, and at least four deaths, this year.
Start with the livestock
The organisation’s regional director for Africa, dr. Matshidiso Moeti, says that to end these outbreaks among people it is necessary to first prevent anthrax in animals, especially livestock.
To this end, multi-disciplinary teams from the likes of the WHO, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) are collaborating on and coordinating efforts to vaccinate and control the movements of at-risk livestock in the affected countries.
“Human anthrax infections are recurrent in countries that experience frequent anthrax infections in livestock,” the WHO’s statement adds.
The chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, Angus Wiliamson, points out that mortality rates among unvaccinated animals infected with this disease can reach near 100%. These animals often die within 48 hours of onset of infection. He urges South African livestock farmers to appropriately vaccinate their animals against anthrax.
He explains that annual anthrax vaccinations for cattle are compulsory in South Africa in terms of the Animal Diseases Act (35 of 1984). Not only do these vaccinations contribute to preventing outbreaks among livestock, but by extension they protect farmers, farmworkers, farming families and other people.
Symptoms
The WOAH’s website states: “Ruminant animals [infected with anthrax] are often found dead with no indication that they had been ill. In this acute form, there may be high fever, muscle tremors and difficult breathing seen shortly before the animal collapses and dies. Unclotted blood may exude from body openings and the body may not stiffen after death. Subacute form may be accompanied by progressive fever, depression, inappetence, weakness, prostration and death.”
The USA’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says that people are susceptible to four types of infection, namely cutaneous anthrax on the skin, inhalation anthrax, gastrointestinal anthrax and injection anthrax.
“Typically, anthrax gets into the body through the skin, lungs, or gastrointestinal system. All types of anthrax can eventually spread throughout the body and cause death if they are not treated with antibiotics.”
