Anthrax is one of the main livestock diseases in Bangladesh, and people in the north of the country are now also being infected. Anthrax is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. It first infects livestock, and people are then infected through infected animals, but it does not spread from person to person, which is why anthrax is called a zoonotic disease. Known in Bengali as "torka rog", it is an acute and serious infectious disease. Here are its symptoms, how to prevent it and how it spreads to people.

The disease passes from livestock into people in three ways:

• Through the skin: from animal products (wool, bones) through cuts or scratches on the skin.
• Through breathing: bacterial spores enter the lungs when inhaled.
• Through food: infection can come from eating the meat of an anthrax-infected animal.

Anthrax germs spread mainly through infected animals, and they can also live in the soil. Anyone who eats the meat of a sick animal or breathes in the germs can be infected, and the germs can also enter through a wound on the skin.

• Symptoms depend on how the anthrax germ enters the body.
• If infected by eating meat, a person may have nausea, vomiting, vomiting blood, stomach pain, headache, loss of appetite, fever, sore throat or a swollen neck, and may also have bloody diarrhoea.
• If infected through breathing, the first symptoms can be ordinary ones such as sore throat, fever, fatigue and muscle pain, followed by chest discomfort, breathing difficulty and nausea. There may also be blood in the phlegm, pain on swallowing, rising fever and falling blood pressure.
• If spread through the skin, a swollen sore like an insect bite forms. The centre of the sore turns black and the surrounding area swells, with itching and fever.

Professor Dr Md Sahiduzzaman of the Department of Parasitology at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) said: "The main cause of anthrax is a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. It can lie dormant in the soil for a long time and, when conditions are favourable, becomes active and infects livestock. Infection usually happens through contaminated pasture, polluted water, contaminated feed or contact with dead animals. It can also spread to people, especially through contact with animal carcasses or infected meat."

On how to stay safe, the professor said: "The main ways to avoid anthrax are to avoid contact with infected animals and animal products, follow hygiene rules and not eat the meat of sick animals raw or undercooked."

He added: "The disease can be prevented by vaccinating livestock against anthrax once a year. Where there is a chance of infection, all cattle in the surrounding area should be vaccinated. Pastures, feed and water sources must be kept clean, and animals must be kept away from suspicious carcasses and dirty places. There is a special antiserum for infected animals, which a veterinarian can give. But animals must be treated on the advice of a registered veterinarian."

Dr Md Sahiduzzaman also said that if symptoms of anthrax appear in a person, a doctor's advice should be sought quickly and proper action taken.

• Do not eat any meat that has not been thoroughly cooked.
• If you have any cuts on your skin, do not handle raw meat with bare hands.
• If you keep livestock, vaccinate them against anthrax as scheduled.
• Anyone caring for sick animals must have protective equipment, cleanliness and proper care.
• Do not eat, cut up or handle the meat of sick livestock.
• Awareness is essential to control anthrax. Although it is a dangerous infection, it can be controlled with proper prevention and treatment.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.