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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Mon 20 Jun 2011
Source: The Times of India (TOI), Times News Network (TNN) [edited]
<http://timesofindia.
Health team to visit anthrax-hit Kandhamal
------------------------------
The state government on Monday [20 Jun 2011] asked the MKCG Medical
College and Hospital, Berhampur, to send a medical team to Kandhamal
district where some areas are in the grip of anthrax. This follows the
death of a 40 year old man from suspected anthrax on Saturday [18 Jun
2011].
The blood sample of the deceased tested negative for anthrax. But
that may be because he had already taken medicines, [according to]
head of state diseases surveillance Dr Bikash Patnaik. 2 out of 9
samples taken from the 2 affected villages within Tumudibandh block
had "morphologically" tested positive for anthrax. "It appears the
disease in Tumudibandh is anthrax," [said] Dr Patnaik. The medical
team, including a paediatrician, a medicine specialist, and a
microbiologist, among others, will further assess the situation before
confirming or ruling out anthrax, Dr Patnaik said.
RM of Bada Gochhaka village, who was admitted to hospital due to
suspected anthrax, died of liver failure, hospital sources said. 15
others, including 2 children of Sana Guchhuka and Bada Guchhuka
villages, are suffering from suspected anthrax following consumption
of rotten meat of cattle and goat.
"We have tested the blood samples of 16 persons, who were suspected
to be suffering from anthrax. While 7 of them were admitted to
hospital, 9 samples were collected from the field by the medical staff
of Kandhamal," said Dr Preetilata Panda, associate professor,
microbiology, of MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Dr Panda sent her
report to the health department as well as to Kandhamal district
administration on Monday [20 Jun 2011]. Earlier, the veterinary
experts have said domestic animals in the area tested negative for
anthrax.
Meanwhile, the medical college has discharged all patients who were
admitted for anthrax treatment. The anti-anthrax vaccination drive for
animals in the area by the animal resources department was on. Chief
district veterinary officer of Kandhamal SC Mallick said around 4600
animals of 42 villages have been vaccinated so far.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Diagnosing anthrax in humans always presents problems, not least
because they frequently self-medicate with antibiotics, so that when
they present themselves for examination by a physician or a
nurse-practitioner they can be bacteriologically negative though toxin
positive. My late and dear friend Benyamin Cherkasskyi in Moscow would
tell me that at best he could confirm 30 per cent of cutaneous
lesions, essentially by sampling the fluids below the lesion. The
other problem is that any contaminated meat in a public health
investigation can be long gone by the time the PH investigators are
mobilised. And, thirdly, humans and livestock die from many conditions
and anthrax incidence is not high on that list.
My only advice to my medical colleagues is that when they set out on
such an endeavor that they include a veterinary epidemiologist so that
he or she can be actively tracing back on any speculative sources
while they are still warm. Why? Because human anthrax cases,
challenging and interesting though they can be, are merely mine
canaries for a bigger problem. If it is anthrax, there will have been
prior animal cases, which seeded the human cases. By identifying where
these animal cases are occurring, preventive action can be put in
place and any existing animal health control programmes corrected.
This will cheaply prevent any more human cases, which incur high costs
in treatment and hospitalisation. For example, in this speculative
incident there has been one death, 7 hospitalised, and 8 presumably on
oral antibiotics, plus all the necessary supportive laboratory work.
Prevention is always cheaper than cure.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of India can be seen at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0ZiP>. A map of Orissa showing the location of
Kandhamal district can be seen at
<http://www.travelindia-guide.
Berhampur, go to
<http://www.fallingrain.com/
[see also:
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (04): (OR) 20110620.1887
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (03): (OR) 20110619.1871
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (02): (OR) 20110616.1830
Anthrax, human, livestock - India 20110612.1794
Anthrax - India: (OR), human cases 2002-2010 20110103.0028
2010
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (04): (OR) 20100731.2572
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (02): (OR) 20100611.1963
Anthrax, human, livestock - India: (OR) 20100512.1547
Anthrax, livestock - India: (OR) susp. 20100130.0327
2009
---
Anthrax - India: (OR) 20091020.3610
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (07): (OR) 20090725.2629
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (06): (OR) 20090702.2390
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (05): (OR) 20090629.2352
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (04): (OR) 20090622.2287
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (03): (OR) 20090615.2216
Anthrax, human - India: (OR) 20090326.1173
2008
---
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (Orissa) 20080608.1826
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (04): (Orissa) 20080603.1775
Anthrax, bovine - India (02): (Orissa) 20080407.1277
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (03): (AP, Orissa) 20080210.0539
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (02): (AP, Orissa), conf.
20080206.0489
Anthrax, human, livestock - India: (AP, Orissa) susp. 20080204.0457
2007
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (Orissa) 20070603.1798
2003
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (Orissa) 20030914.2328
2001
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (Orissa) 20010601.1084]
..............................
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