Hyderabad: The district veterinary department has sprung into action following reports that Anthrax had claimed the lives of four sheep and one goat in Warangal’s Chapala Banda village. As an immediate precaution they have launched measures to stop the spread of the bacterial disease, although veterinarians have said that this was a common infection in livestock. The most potent remedy is vaccination as anthrax is caused by Bacillus, which does not spell danger for human beings.
Subbiah, a resident of Chapala Banda village in Duggondi mandal, said that he had purchased five sheep and one goat from an Anantapur trader at the local fair (santha) and on October 26 all the six died. Veterinary doctors collected the samples and sent them to National Center for Laboratory Animal Sciences, Hyderabad, which confirmed that they had succumbed to anthrax.
Dr M. Balakrishan, joint director, district veterinary and animal husbandry Warangal, said “we immediately procured 9,000 doses of vaccination against anthrax from Bengaluru and administered them on all goats and sheep in the five kms radius. There were a total of 7,800 goats and sheep in the mandal’s five villages.”
He said “this bacterial disease is common in Rayalaseema, Nellore, and border regions of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.”
Retired professor Dr. SR Sukumar said, “Anthrax will not affect humans as the infection causes skin sores and boils on those working with animals. The bronchial infections can be treated with a simple medication.”
