Govt Increases Anthrax Surveillance Following Cases in Laos

[webfact]

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The government has instructed officials to be on the lookout for patients exhibiting symptoms of anthrax. 

 

Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke highlighted the government's vigilance on anthrax following the identification of 54 cases in Laos, accompanied by animal deaths in March. 

 

The Ministry of Public Health, via the Department of Disease Control, has worked with local entities to intensify disease monitoring in both humans and animals, with a focus on border areas adjacent to neighboring countries.

 

Should any individuals display symptoms of anthrax, an initial investigation and notification to the provincial public health office are mandated.

 

The public is urged to promptly report any unusual illnesses or deaths of cattle to local veterinary services or governmental organizations. Direct contact with, moving, or slaughtering carcasses for consumption is strongly discouraged.

 

Those who have been in contact with ill animals and subsequently develop atypical symptoms should seek medical care immediately, as the condition is treatable with antibiotics.

 

Thailand has been free of anthrax cases since 2001. Anthrax, an acute bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis, is a zoonosis that humans can contract through contact with infected animals or their remains, notably cattle, buffalo, or other herbivores. The risk of human-to-human transmission is extremely low.

 

by Naark Rojanasuvan

 

Source: NNT 2024-03-30

 

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[Peabody]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Should any individuals display symptoms of anthrax

And these symptoms are never mentioned. So helpful.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Peabody said:

And these symptoms are never mentioned. So helpful.

Gastrointestinal anthrax symptoms can include:

Fever and chills.

Swelling of neck or neck glands.

Sore throat.

Painful swallowing.

Hoarseness.

Nausea and vomiting, especially bloody vomiting.

Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea.

Headache

Blisters

[kickstart]

The Anthrax spoors can live in the soil for a lot of years, normally the first symptoms you see is a dead animal in the field, got to give it to the vets in Laos they did well to pick it up.

With what I know of Thai government vet's, they should be the ones responsible for any anthrax cases,  the odds of them picking up an Anthrax case is not high, just like if a Thai farmer finds a dead animal he will just phone the knacker man who will just haul the carcass away ,if the animal is sick , the odds of taking a blood sample, the way to detect anthrax,  and seeding it to a lab for analyses, not high.