When is there a risk of getting anthrax?
A person is at risk of contracting anthrax if pathogens of this disease appear among certain species of wild animals. Earlier, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev warned about the risk of the spread of anthrax in southern Russia due to non-compliant animal burial grounds. According to REN TV, infection in a Dagestan village occurred through meat - after one of the sick people slaughtered a bull. Experts call this route of infection one of the most common.
Useful documentation
Vaccinations against anthrax must be done under the supervision of a specialist. During the vaccine period, animals require close supervision. The veterinarian is obliged to monitor how the immune system reacts to the administered drug and take action at the slightest deviation from the norm.
The seriousness of this procedure is confirmed by the fact that a separate vaccination certificate is drawn up for each herd, which includes the date, number of vaccinated individuals, series and number of drugs used. This is done to be able to track untreated animals.
The certificate must be kept by the doctor for 2 years. Individuals who have not been vaccinated for any reason prohibiting vaccination are kept separately from the herd. They are subject to vaccination as soon as doctors allow the procedure. A separate act is drawn up for such livestock.
Is there a vaccine against anthrax?
Yes, there is a vaccine against anthrax, but it does not provide full guarantees that if you come into contact with a source of infection, you will be able to avoid the disease. The effect of an anthrax vaccine for animals was first demonstrated by Louis Pasteur back in 1881, and a vaccine for humans was developed in 1954.
In Russia, for the prevention of anthrax, the live dry anthrax vaccine is used for subcutaneous and scarification use. For its preparation, a persistent non-capsular version of anthrax bacilli is used, which lacks the ability to cause disease in humans and farm animals. The finished product is a dried suspension of live spores of the vaccine strain.
General information about the vaccine
Externally, the anthrax vaccine resembles a cloudy white liquid stored in glass ampoules. It contains strain 55, which is placed in a 30% glycerin solution. A strain is a live pathogen designed to develop immunity in animals.
There are 20-25 million live viruses per 1 ml of solution. The drug is produced in ampoules, dosages of 20, 50, 100 and 200 milliliters. Depending on the type and weight of the animal, the doctor prescribes the appropriate dosage for vaccination.
But, no matter how effective the developed method of combating anthrax is, it also has drawbacks. It is important to store the vaccine correctly, otherwise it becomes unusable and must be destroyed. If white flakes begin to form in it, the ampoule should be immediately destroyed by boiling in a soda solution.
In what case and who should be vaccinated?
Not all people are vaccinated, but only those whose activities in one way or another involve a high risk of infection. Vaccination is also carried out routinely and according to epidemic indications.
According to infectious disease doctor Sofia Rusanova , only certain categories of citizens are vaccinated against anthrax. “Preventive measures are carried out only as planned for persons in certain professions who are at increased risk of contracting anthrax. These are citizens working with live anthrax crops, veterinary workers and other persons who are engaged in slaughtering and keeping livestock, butchering carcasses, skinning, etc.,” says Rusanova.
Article on the topic
Anthrax: symptoms and prevention. INFOGRAPHICS
Routine vaccination in Russia is also regularly carried out for persons working with live cultures of the anthrax causative agent, with infected laboratory animals, and for those who conduct research on materials contaminated with the causative agent of this disease.
For everyone else, Rusanova says, there is no point in getting vaccinated. “If you don’t skin or butcher the animal, you can’t get this disease. Even if a person lives in an endemic area, but does not care for a sick person, he cannot become infected. There is no risk. This is not the same infection,” says Rusanova.
Rules and external manifestations
Vaccination of cattle must be accompanied by complete sanitation. The injection site should be treated with 70% ethyl alcohol. Equipment, syringes and needles must be disinfected both before and after vaccination.
Syringes and needles should not only be wiped with a special solution, the devices should be boiled in it for at least two hours. This is important so as not to introduce additional infections and not to give the immune system additional stress.
When a cow is vaccinated, a slight swelling may form at the injection site. Don't worry, it will go away in a few days. And you should pay attention to symptoms such as fever, weakness and severe swelling. In this case, the animal must be immediately isolated from the general herd and treated under the supervision of a veterinarian.
It is a deadly zoonotic infectious disease. In modern conditions, it is quite rare in humans, typical of cattle, goats, sheep and horses. The causative agent is a spore-forming bacterium. Being in spore form, it is extremely resistant to external factors and can remain viable for several years, which contributes to the spread of infection. Bacterial spores themselves do not pose a threat until they germinate, which they do, like plant seeds, when they find themselves in conditions favorable for this.
A person may experience the following forms of the disease:
- cutaneous – develops when the anthrax pathogen penetrates through damage to the skin (cuts, abrasions, scratches);
- pulmonary - occurs when spores are inhaled. In this case, the spores germinate in the lung tissue, where they multiply. From there they literally enter the bloodstream within a few days. From this point on, the disease becomes a generalized form, which is very difficult to treat;
- intestinal - develops when the gastrointestinal tract is damaged as a result of eating contaminated food products, most often meat.
Symptoms of anthrax
1. Skin form. The first signs: a small bump on the skin at the site of infection, which after 1-2 days turns into a fluid-filled blister 1-3 cm in diameter. Over the next 7-10 days, the tissue of the blister begins to die off from the top, forming a dense, cracked black scab. The patient may experience weakness, fever, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes. 2. Pulmonary form. The first symptoms appear in the first seven days from the moment of infection, but in some cases the disease does not appear for 60 days. The first signs resemble the flu, in particular, fever, sore throat and muscle pain are observed. But there are also differences: the difficulty breathing typical of anthrax is not characteristic of influenza, but the runny nose that usually accompanies it is not observed with anthrax. After the appearance of these signs, shock develops within 5 days, and death occurs within 24-36 hours. 3. Intestinal form. Symptoms appear within 6 days of infection: sore throat, ulcers on the base of the tongue and tonsils, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting. The symptoms intensify, bloody diarrhea, vomiting with blood, and cutting pain in the abdomen appear. After 2-4 days, ascites develops, after another 2-5 days shock occurs, which leads to death.
4. Pharyngeal form. At the base of the tongue, on the walls of the pharynx and oral mucosa, ulcers appear, the tonsils become inflamed, and the cervical lymph nodes become enlarged. As the infection progresses, swelling of the pharynx increases, which interferes with normal breathing. The clinical picture of anthrax is as follows: first, small spots appear on the skin that look like insect bites and are quite itchy.
Within 2-3 days, the skin near the site of penetration of the pathogen becomes noticeably thicker. The itching intensifies, often turning into a strong burning sensation. The spots themselves also transform, transforming into vesicles filled with blood and serous contents. As patients scratch the itchy areas, black sores form on the surface of the skin. From this moment, it can be established quite clearly that it is anthrax that is developing, the symptoms of which are characterized not only by the appearance of formations on the skin, but also by a rise in temperature, appetite disturbance and headache.
After opening the vesicle, the edges of the ulcer begin to swell and form edema. It spreads very quickly, capturing healthy areas and promoting the formation of secondary blisters. This process lasts 5-6 days. Having reached a size of 8-15 mm, anthrax acquires the characteristic signs of a carbuncle: a black center, a purulent border around it, a purple oval at the site of secondary lesions.
If the diagnosis was made on time and adequate treatment was prescribed, 5-6 days after the appearance of carbuncles the patient’s condition returns to normal. His temperature decreases, swelling decreases, lymphangitis fades, and his overall health improves. The wounds on the skin slowly heal, but after them a clearly visible scar remains. If anthrax occurs with complications, secondary sepsis may develop, a sharp rise in body temperature, an increase in tachycardia and increased headaches.
Diagnosis, treatment, prevention
When making a diagnosis, in order to identify the source of danger, information about the place of work and other factors to which the patient is exposed is important for the doctor. Depending on the form of the disease, bacteriological culture of a scraping from a skin ulcer, sputum from the respiratory tract or a pharyngeal smear is prescribed. The diagnosis can be confirmed using biochemical tests performed on the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. In some cases, a biopsy is performed. To exclude or detect changes in the lungs, radiography or computed tomography is used.
All patients with suspected anthrax must be hospitalized. Bed rest and therapeutic nutrition are required. For intestinal and pulmonary forms, antibiotic therapy should be started immediately after the suspected infection; antibiotics will no longer be effective. All patients are required to be prescribed anti-anthrax immunoglobulin. As maintenance therapy, intravenous fluid administration, oxygen inhalation, and corticosteroids are prescribed.
Local treatment of anthrax involves treating the affected skin with antiseptic agents. Bandages are not applied, and surgical treatment is not used, as this can provoke generalization of the infection. Patients with cutaneous anthrax are discharged after the scab has been rejected and a scar has formed. In cases with generalized forms, patients are subject to discharge after complete clinical recovery and two bacteriological tests (with a five-day interval), which show a negative result.
People who are at risk are vaccinated. The full course of anthrax vaccination consists of 5 injections given over 18 months and an adjuvant (vaccine booster) given annually. Vaccination is the most effective means of preventing anthrax, but in some cases the drug has side effects (fever, fatigue, migraines, joint pain). The medicine is not available for widespread use. Vaccinations are given only to people at high risk of infection, in particular veterinarians and other workers in contact with animals.
Globally, anthrax prevention involves reducing and eliminating the incidence in domestic animals. If livestock dies from anthrax, the corpse is burned or buried in strictly designated places, first sprinkled with quicklime. Food obtained from a potentially dangerous animal is destroyed.
Prevention department of the clinic for adults
What you need to know about rabies
Rabies is a viral focal infection with a contact mechanism of pathogen transmission that affects the nervous system. The accumulation of the virus occurs in the salivary glands and cornea. The virus is found in the blood, lungs, liver, spleen, and milk.
The main sign of the disease in dogs is excessive salivation and vomiting. Then it becomes difficult to eat, swallowing is impaired, and hoarseness appears. The death of the animal occurs due to paralysis of the respiratory and cardiovascular centers. The rabies virus enters the human body through damaged skin and mucous membranes.
The clinical picture is characterized by complaints of pain, burning, numbness in the bite area, fever sometimes up to 40 degrees, excitability, anxiety, fear, irritability, melancholy, and depression. Then painful spasms of the muscles of the pharynx and larynx occur when trying to drink water, with copious salivation.
Prevention:
- Identification and destruction of foci of infection among animals, both in natural foci in rural areas and in urban areas.
- Organization and implementation of vaccination among animals, provision of a set of measures aimed at preventing animal bites.
- Conducting a course of rabies vaccinations for victims of animal bites. There are no contraindications for therapeutic and prophylactic vaccinations. Local wound treatment is very important. It must be carried out immediately or as soon as possible after the bite. The damage is washed generously with soap and water, then the edges of the wound are treated with 70% alcohol or 5% iodine solution.
After providing assistance, you must consult a doctor!
Prevention department of the clinic for adults
Timing, methods, doses
Only a veterinarian sets the exact dates for cattle vaccination. According to generally accepted standards, adult animals are vaccinated once a year. Vaccination of young animals is carried out according to the scheme.
| Graft | Term |
| First | At 3 pm |
| Second | In 6 months |
| Subsequent | Unified vaccination scheme for young and adult cattle. |
Animals are vaccinated in two ways:
- Intradermal. The solution is injected into the area where there is no hair. Requires 2 cu. see means.
- Classic subcutaneous. Inserted into the middle part of the neck. A standard animal requires 1 cu. see vaccines.
Only the veterinarian determines the amount of vaccine and the injection site.
