Nigeria announces the discovery of Anthrax in Nigeria (should we be...

Two days ago, I read on the news that, Anthrax was found on farmland in Nigeria, and according to the news, this is the first time we are going to see anything like this, of course, very curious to know more and see if anything could be done about it, espcially when it comes to ensuring the safety of the farm animals and the farm owners and workers.

Anthrax is a severe infection that is caused by a bacteria, named Bacillus anthracis, It is gram-positive and rod-shaped. Anthrax naturally occurs in the soil, and it affects domestic and wild animals around the world. Humans can also get sick when there is contact with an infected animal, or with a contaminated animal product. Anthrax can cause serious illness both in animals and in humans. So, aside from farm animals, even pets can get affected by the infection and once our pet gets affected, we know how dangerous that could be for us as pet owners.

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The infected host sheds vegetative bacilli to the ground, which form spores when exposed to the air, these spores can stay on the soil for decades and patiently wait until it is taken up by another host, upon which multiplication and germination could proceed, flies also play a significant role in large outbreaks in endemic regions.

Surprisingly, the news reporters claim this is the first reported case in Nigeria, because anthrax has been reported in almost every continent, and it is more common in agricultural regions where there are neutral or alkaline, calcerous soils. Ruminant animals who get affected usually do not show previous indications of being ill.

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When it happens in its acute form, there could be symptoms like; muscle tremors, high fever, and breathing difficulty, but this is only for a short period before they die.
For human infection, there are four common routes to the infection of anthrax, each of them having different signs and symptoms. It normally takes 6 days of bacteria exposure for development to happen, but it is also possible for the inhalation of anthrax symptoms to take more than six weeks before it appears, Let's take a look at the routes to anthrax infection.

Cutaneous Anthrax: Skin-related anthrax infection enters into the body through the skin, usually through a cut or other open sores, This happens to be by far one of the most common routes of the disease, and it happens to also be the mildest. It has signs like;

Swelling in the sore, and close lymph glands.
Flu-like symptoms like headache and fever.
Itchy bump that doesn't waste time growing into a painless sore with a black center.

Gastrointestinal anthrax: This comes from the consumption of undercooked meat from an animal that is infected, this could affect the gastrointestinal tract from the throat to the colon. Noticed signs include; headache, fever, abdominal pain, swollen neck, nausea, and even swollen throat.

Inhalation anthrax: This development happens when there is a breathing in of anthrax spores, it is the most deadly form of the disease, often a deadly one even with applied treatment.

Symptoms include; nausea, difficulty breathing, meningitis, high fever, breath shortage, meningitis, coughing of blood, shock, mid mid-morning discomfort.

Injection Anthrax: This route of anthrax infection has only been reported in Europe so far, and it is contracted through the injection of illegal drugs. Initial symptoms are; shock, meningitis, redness at the area of injection, and multiple organ failure.

Alongside antibiotic therapy and immunization, some control procedures are of high importance and they are majorly required to help contain the disease and help prevent its spread. It is first very important to dispose of dead animals, premises of where animals reside also need to be quarantined until all animals are at least vaccinated, and all carcasses are disposed of appropriately. Disinfection and cleaning are also very important as they help with the control of insects and rodents.

Anthrax has previously been controlled in other parts of the world through existing vaccination programs, fast detection, and reporting, quarantine treatment of affected animals, and the burning or appropriate burial of suspected or affected animals. Vaccination should be done at least 2-4 weeks before the season of an expected outbreak.

There is a vaccine for livestock who stay in regions where anthrax is prominent, for the vaccine to be an effective one, it has to be applied before the animal is exposed to the bacteria. There is a different vaccine for livestock and another for humans, and the one for humans is rare.

For humans, the most serious form of complications include; membrane inflammation and fluid covering the brain and the spinal cord, resulting in massive bleeding and eventual death, another thing is that the body might become unable to respond to infection normally, therefore leading to the damage of multiple organ systems.

Extreme care needs to be taken in handling farm animals now, animals who do not have it yet should be vaccinated, and those who have been diagnosed should be separated from the rest. Humans need to adequately protect themselves.