DEADLY ANTHRAX

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 September 1932, Page 2

DEADLY ANTHRAX

rigid precautiions necessary to prevent the spread. FIRE THE ONLY CURE. An occasional outbreak of- antbrax in Anstralia recently has served as a reminder of the precautions which should be taken in dealing with this dangerous disease.]- It is cansed by a germ, Bacillus anthracis, easily recognised under the niieroscope by its square ov slightly concave ends. Nearly all animals, ineluding man, is subjeet to this scourge, hence it must be treated with the greatest respeet, as it is invariably fatal. Whex*ever an animal dies suddenly, swells rap'idly, and has blood issuing fi'om any of the passages, especially if the hlood is dark-coloureu, it is advisable not to maka a post-mortem examination but to send a blood smear to an expert to have it examined for anthrax. The earcase should be burned or hui'ied deeply without cutting it. If opened in error the spleen i: generally much enlarged and broken down, containing black, tarry hlood. A post-mortem examination is carried out at great risk by the oparatf \ The least scratch or cut may he followed by anthrax, soil is contaminated, flies convey the germ from the blood, the disease may be spread rapidly to : man and all classes of stock, and no one can say what trouble may follow.

One Germ Enough. The chief method of spread is through the medium of a wound or slight abrasion, thus allowing the organism a direet means of entering the blood stream. It is fair to assume that the introduction of a si.igle germ may lead to fatal effects. A slight abrasion on the moutlr or lip.-s caused by grass seeds or scratching 1 with dry fodder may be the means of 1 allowing the germ an inlet into flie j systeni. Horses and other animals ! have been known to take the disease j through grazing over an anthraxi stricken grave, even though such has j been closed for many years. This shows th 'eimportanee of enclosing such a grave. iEarthworms may hring the germs to the surface, and flies may convey I them. The germs smultiply with extreme rapidity in the blood. Spmetimes at the outset of the symptoms microscopic examination fails to detect the rresence of the germs but they may readily be seen a few hours before death. Death may occur xvithin 24 hours after infectioThere is only one treatment — destruction and burning of the affeeted animals, and preventive innoculation of all animals upon the farm or station.