What is anthrax? What should I do if the cow gets it?

In the process of livestock breeding, anthracnose is a common disease, not only animals are prone to infection, feeding humans may also be infected. Now let's take a look at what anthrax is. What should I do if the cow gets it?

What is anthrax?

According to experts, anthrax is an acute, febrile, septic zoonosis caused by Bacillus anthracis. It is classified as a Class II animal epidemic in China, as a Class B infectious disease in the Law of the people's Republic of China on the Prevention and treatment of Infectious Diseases, and as a statutory animal reported disease by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

The vitality of anthrax is very strong, not only easy to grow and reproduce, but also has the function of self-protection, forming a capsule on the outside of the bacteria, the bacteria are wearing armor and can resist the attack and phagocytosis of immune cells. Under certain conditions, a small part of the bacteria will condense inside to form hard "spores", making them heat-resistant, dry-resistant, not destroyed by general disinfectants, and lurking in the soil for as long as 40-50 years. Once the conditions are right, the bacteria in the spores will grow like "sprouts" and become able to reproduce.

Anthrax is a global zoonosis with annual cases ranging from 200 to 100000. Anthrax has occurred in Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. Anthrax in China is mainly concentrated in some provinces in northwest, southwest and northeast. The epidemic may occur all the year round, and the peak of the disease is from June to September every year. Drought and flood are the main causes.

Humans and animals are transmitted mainly through the digestive tract and can also be infected through contact with the respiratory tract or injured skin. Contaminated soil, water sources and sites can form persistent epidemic foci. In most cases, the infection is caused by the intake of spores by herbivores such as cattle and sheep while grazing, and people are infected by other pollutants such as meat, fur, blood or soil of infected livestock. Contact with healthy cattle, sheep and other animals and their meat products will not be infected with anthrax.

What should I do if the cow has anthrax?

1. Do a good job of enclosure hygiene, timely removal of sources of infection (feces, bedding, surplus feed, wall ceiling, etc.), removal of pollution sources is the basis for reducing respiratory transmission.

2. When cattle are sick and need to be dealt with, it is recommended to wear masks, gloves and other necessary protection to avoid zoonosis. For some serious diseases, do not dissect at will without adequate preparation.

3. Clean the ground outside the field, especially the stagnant puddles and fecal accumulation areas where bacteria, parasites and viruses are easy to be cultured, and take conditional measures for disinfection and sterilization in and out of the enclosure.

4. Follow-up treatment: the burying method is recommended for sick and dead animals (quicklime should be spread above and below the burial pit to avoid polluting groundwater), and for contaminated animal feces, the method of stacking biological heat fermentation is recommended.

5. Vaccination: in areas where anthrax has occurred, anthrax No. 2 spore vaccine is injected subcutaneously once a year.

6. Isolation, blockade and disinfection: when an epidemic occurs, immediately block the place where the disease occurs and report it to the local veterinary department in time. Diseased cattle carcasses and faeces, bedding and other wastes should be incinerated or buried deep, far from water sources, roads and pastures. Pens, sites and tools contaminated by diseased cattle and sheep shall be disinfected with 20% bleach solution or 0.2% liter mercury solution.