Laos – Anthrax (Champasak) OIE
20 Oct 2008
OIE's WAHID interface [edited] [Promed]
Report type : Immediate notification
Start date : 13 Jun 2008
Date of first confirmation of the event : 5 Jul 2008
Causal agent : Bacillus anthracis
Nature of diagnosis: Clinical, Laboratory (basic)
Date of Last Occurrence : 2002
Number of Reported Outbreaks : 1
New Outbreak
Champasak, Bachieng, Kaenglay village
Start : 13 Jun 2008
End : 1 Aug 2008
Affected Animals : Free-ranging cattle and goats in the village
Species / Susceptible / Cases / Deaths
Cattle / 71 / 5 / 5
Goats / 11 / 2 / 2
Epidemiology
Comments: No other cases reported. Public education on the prevention of the transmission of the disease for the population in the village has been carried out.
Source: Unknown or inconclusive
Control Measures
Applied: Quarantine; Movement controls inside the country;
Disinfection of infected premises/establishments
To be Applied : Vaccination in response to the outbreak
Animals Treated : Yes, with antibiotics

Mongolia - Anthrax, human and livestock (Arkhangai)
28 Apr 2008
Nanyang [in Chinese, trans Promed, edited]
According to Mongolian media reports, a herdsman in Erdenemandal sum [district] in Mongolia's Arkhangai Province contracted anthrax recently. On [20 Apr 2008], when the patient sought treatment at the Arkhangai Province Infectious Disease Hospital, physicians diagnosed possible anthrax infection. To prevent spread of the disease, relevant agencies vaccinated 11 neighboring herdsmen and 4500 heads of livestock, and implemented quarantine [measures]. Later, tests at the Mongolian National Infectious Disease Research Center confirmed that the patient had contracted anthrax

Mongolia finds anthrax cases in livestock
23 Feb 2008
People's Daily [in Chinese, trans. Promed, edited]
According to news from Mongolia's Emergency Situations Agency, livestock infected with anthrax have been found in Altanbulag Sum [district] of Selenge Aimag [province], [and anthrax] has caused the deaths of 4 sheep. The government of Altanbulag Sum has ordered quarantine for 14 days in an area 5-8 km (3-5 mi) around the site of the outbreak. Emergency situations agencies and epidemic prevention agencies have set up 5 disinfection points in the outbreak area, and vaccinated 479 heads of livestock owned by the 2 herders [in whose herds] anthrax occurred, as well as 130 people in 28 herding households and 4118 heads of livestock surrounding the outbreak area.

Australia – Anthrax
3 Jan 2008
The Herald [edited]
More Upper Hunter properties have been quarantined, more cattle have died and extra vaccine sent to the area as the anthrax outbreak continues to spread. A total of 9 Upper Hunter properties are now under quarantine after more cattle tested positive, despite the repeated assurances from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) that the disease had been contained. A department spokesman said yesterday [2 Jan 2008] that there had been 36 confirmed deaths from the disease, including 3 earlier this week at the Miles family's Bingeberry Hereford Stud at Rouchel. He said tests this week also revealed that a horse, which died suddenly in the Rouchel area, did not die from anthrax. Last Friday [28 Dec 2007], only 12 deaths were confirmed and 5 properties quarantined. "We were getting reports of several cattle deaths a day," the spokesman said. "We are not expecting the disease to stop immediately. Usually diseases like this trickle off or plateau out." The DPI will continue to monitor the situation and has sent more vaccines to Rouchel this week. The disease is costing graziers thousands of dollars in cattle losses and has stopped stock moving to cattle sales. Anthrax is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which lives in certain types of soil. Humans can be contaminated by contact with infected animals or animal products. Most cases of anthrax are seen in cattle and sheep. A knackery [renderer] worker in northern Victoria contracted the disease from an infected cow in an anthrax outbreak in the Stanhope area this year. The man recovered in hospital. Vaccinations are common for livestock workers and anthrax can be fatal for humans without early detection and the swift application of antibiotics.

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