ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - INDONESIA: (EAST NUSA TENGGARA) 761 infected

[Treyfish]

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - INDONESIA: (EAST NUSA TENGGARA)
[1]
Date: Tue 30 Oct 2007
Source: The Jakarta Post, Associated Press report [edited]
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071030173349&irec=0>


Indonesia was distributing anthrax vaccines across a remote island on
Tuesday [30 Oct 2007] after 10 villagers contracted the disease from an
infected buffalo, an agriculture official said. Livestock movement in areas
close to where the villagers lived on Flores Island in the far east of the
country has also been banned, said Musni Suatmojo, director of animal
health at the Agriculture Ministry.

The 10 villagers were diagnosed with the disease last week [22-28 Oct
2007], he said, adding that officials suspected they contracted it after
cutting up and eating an infected buffalo. They were diagnosed as having
cutaneous anthrax, the most common form, which enters through a cut or
abrasion and can cause skin rashes and swelling, he said. They were treated
with antibiotics and are now recovering, Suatmojo said.

The disease is endemic across much of Indonesia. Some 20 000 doses of
livestock vaccine were being distributed across the island, Suatmojo said.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Brent Barrett

******
[2]
Date: Tue 30 Oct 2007
Source: Brisbane Times, Agence France-Presse (AFP) report [edited]
<http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/anthrax-scare-hits-indonesia/2007/10/30/1193618872197.html>


An official said today [30 Oct 2007] that 3 villages in Indonesia's east
have been closed off to outsiders after more than 750 people fell ill from
eating anthrax-infected buffalo meat. "We've now recorded 761 people from 3
villages falling ill after eating buffalo meat infected with anthrax," said
local official Cornelis Wara from Ende district, one of the affected areas
on Flores Island.

A veterinary official, Maria Geong, said more teams had been sent to the
district to locate and vaccinate livestock, reinforcing several sent at the
weekend [27-28 Oct 2007] after 20 villagers were initially reported ill.
"We have sent 20 000 doses of vaccine to the 3 villages and several areas
in Ende district," she said, adding that another 20 000 doses had also been
sent to adjacent Sikka district to contain the spread of the disease.

In April [2007], 5 people died after consuming infected beef on nearby
Sumba Island. Health officials sealed off a number of villages there for
several weeks to contain the disease. Flores and Sumba are in East Nusa
Tenggara province, where anthrax is endemic. The province is 1500 km (932
mi) from Jakarta.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Brent Barrett

[Anthrax is enzootic in Indonesia but sporadically reported, mostly in
cattle but also in water buffalo, sheep and goats; human cases average some
20 a year -- most recently in West Sumatra, Jambi, DKI Jakarta, West Java,
Central Java, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi,
Southeast Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi.

In this instance there appears to be a mix of cutaneous cases and possible
gastroenteric cases. Some of the latter 761 gastroenteric cases may not
truly be anthrax. Clarification is sought from our Indonesian colleagues
and we would especially appreciate laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis
on the meat and the hospitalised human cases. - Mod.MHJ

East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur) in the eastern portion of the
Lesser Sunda Islands can be located on the map at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/indonesi.pdf>. - CopyEd.MJ]

http://tinyurl.com/2nuobf

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - INDONESIA: (EAST NUSA TENGGARA) 761 infected

10 Indonesians recovering after contracting anthrax

JAKARTA (AP): Indonesia was distributing anthraxvaccines across a remote island on Tuesday after 10 villagers contracted the disease from an infected buffalo, an agriculture official said.

Livestock movement in areas close to where the villagers lived on Flores island in the far east of the country has also been banned, said Musni Suatmojo, director of animal health at the Agriculture Ministry.

The 10 villagers were diagnosed with the disease last week, he said, adding that officials suspected they contracted it after cutting up and eating an infected buffalo.

They were diagnosed as having cutaneous anthrax, the most common form, which enters through a cut or abrasion and can cause skin rashes and swelling, he said. They were treated with antibiotics an are now recovering, Suatmojo said.

Anthrax commonly occurs in cows, sheep and goats, and can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected animals. The disease is endemic across much of Indonesia.

Some 20,000 doses of livestock vaccine were being distributed across the island, Suatmojo said.(***)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071030173349&irec=10