ANTHRAX, ELEPHANTS - NAMIBIA (CAPRIVI)
****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Tue 2 Sep 2008
Source: New Era [edited]
<http://www.newera.com.na/page.php?id=8955>
A mysterious disease believed to be anthrax is exerting a grim toll
on Caprivi's elephant herd, wiping out large numbers of these
majestic wild animals, particularly in the area of Nakabolelwa, about
90 km east of Katima Mulilo.
A village headman at Nakabolelwa told New Era that last month [August
2008], at least 4 elephants succumbed to the mysterious disease in
that area. He said several other cases were also confirmed at a
nearby settlement in Botswana and that it is suspected that the
elephants might be dying from anthrax. If this disease is indeed
anthrax, it can easily spread to cattle.
Though officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at
Katima Mulilo could not confirm the incidents, they have promised to
dispatch a team of rangers to investigate the matter. A state
veterinarian at Katima Mulilo, Frank Chitate, told New Era that his
office might consider collecting samples from the carcasses for a
scientific investigation.
There was an outbreak of anthrax in the same area 2 years ago, and
hundreds of livestock and wild animals were killed. There is mounting
fear among some farmers from that area that, should the disease be
confirmed to be anthrax, it could be catastrophic for their
livestock, which also face a threat from foot-and-mouth disease.
According to the headman, some residents might have fed on the
elephant meat. He said the carcasses are still left unburied, posing
danger to both livestock and humans.
Meanwhile, Chitate warned that should the elephant have died from
anthrax, there is danger that if people eat the meat, they might as
well have contracted the deadly disease. He said should the carcasses
be left unburied, the disease would spread faster. Meanwhile,
residents of Nakabolelwa have also complained of mounting conflict
between wild animals and people in the area. The numbers of wild
animals, particularly elephants, have increased drastically in the
area, causing problems and curtailing the free movement of people,
who are afraid of being trampled by the free-roaming elephants. "We
are even scared to walk from one village to the other because we
might bump into an elephant," complained one resident.
The elephant population has been increasing year after year in
Caprivi, mainly due to an increasing number of conservancy areas in
the region. Some residents at Malindi, about 70 km east of Katima
Mulilo, complained on the local Silozi NBC actuality show about the
increasing number of elephants in the area. They said elephants pose
danger to cattle herders in that area. "We were just accepting to
have conservancies in our areas without realizing that we were tying
ropes around our necks," complained one caller.
Last year [2007], several people were killed by elephants at
different locations in the region. People are scared the same might
happen again this year if corrective measures are not implemented.
[Byline: Reagan Malumo]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[Anthrax cases in elephants are routinely reported in the Etosha and
Chobe national parks, as well as in Caprivi. Considering the constant
threat of livestock anthrax in that region, it would be logical to
have enforced annual vaccination of the cattle. As of yet, there is
no vaccine specifically for wild elephants, and the economics of
attempting it with Sterne would rule that out; darting them from
helicopters and land rovers would be far too expensive to be even
considered, especially as the veterinary service appears to be
unenthusiastic. If my memory serves me right, anthrax is seen in the
Etosha elephants typically at the end of the wet season and then is
followed by antelope anthrax in the dry season.
The tension between farmers and roaming elephants is of long standing
but more complex than this piece would indicate. Part of the rumpus
reflects a desire by rural folk to harvest elephants for their ivory.
Elsewhere in Africa, elephants are in a very significant decrease in
numbers thanks to uncontrolled poaching and loss of habitat by the
invasion of parks by marginal farmers.
Dealing with elephant carcasses is difficult, as one would imagine.
The prescribed technique is to pile the carcass with thorn brush to
discourage scavengers while the carcass decomposes. The drop in pH
will kill the vegetative cells quickly in the unopened carcass.
Burning takes a significant volume of wood, and it is hard to get
proper ventilation of the underside of the carcass.
Please excuse the delay in posting this report. - Mod.MHJ]
****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Tue 2 Sep 2008
Source: New Era [edited]
<http://www.newera.com.na/page.php?id=8955>
A mysterious disease believed to be anthrax is exerting a grim toll
on Caprivi's elephant herd, wiping out large numbers of these
majestic wild animals, particularly in the area of Nakabolelwa, about
90 km east of Katima Mulilo.
A village headman at Nakabolelwa told New Era that last month [August
2008], at least 4 elephants succumbed to the mysterious disease in
that area. He said several other cases were also confirmed at a
nearby settlement in Botswana and that it is suspected that the
elephants might be dying from anthrax. If this disease is indeed
anthrax, it can easily spread to cattle.
Though officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at
Katima Mulilo could not confirm the incidents, they have promised to
dispatch a team of rangers to investigate the matter. A state
veterinarian at Katima Mulilo, Frank Chitate, told New Era that his
office might consider collecting samples from the carcasses for a
scientific investigation.
There was an outbreak of anthrax in the same area 2 years ago, and
hundreds of livestock and wild animals were killed. There is mounting
fear among some farmers from that area that, should the disease be
confirmed to be anthrax, it could be catastrophic for their
livestock, which also face a threat from foot-and-mouth disease.
According to the headman, some residents might have fed on the
elephant meat. He said the carcasses are still left unburied, posing
danger to both livestock and humans.
Meanwhile, Chitate warned that should the elephant have died from
anthrax, there is danger that if people eat the meat, they might as
well have contracted the deadly disease. He said should the carcasses
be left unburied, the disease would spread faster. Meanwhile,
residents of Nakabolelwa have also complained of mounting conflict
between wild animals and people in the area. The numbers of wild
animals, particularly elephants, have increased drastically in the
area, causing problems and curtailing the free movement of people,
who are afraid of being trampled by the free-roaming elephants. "We
are even scared to walk from one village to the other because we
might bump into an elephant," complained one resident.
The elephant population has been increasing year after year in
Caprivi, mainly due to an increasing number of conservancy areas in
the region. Some residents at Malindi, about 70 km east of Katima
Mulilo, complained on the local Silozi NBC actuality show about the
increasing number of elephants in the area. They said elephants pose
danger to cattle herders in that area. "We were just accepting to
have conservancies in our areas without realizing that we were tying
ropes around our necks," complained one caller.
Last year [2007], several people were killed by elephants at
different locations in the region. People are scared the same might
happen again this year if corrective measures are not implemented.
[Byline: Reagan Malumo]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[Anthrax cases in elephants are routinely reported in the Etosha and
Chobe national parks, as well as in Caprivi. Considering the constant
threat of livestock anthrax in that region, it would be logical to
have enforced annual vaccination of the cattle. As of yet, there is
no vaccine specifically for wild elephants, and the economics of
attempting it with Sterne would rule that out; darting them from
helicopters and land rovers would be far too expensive to be even
considered, especially as the veterinary service appears to be
unenthusiastic. If my memory serves me right, anthrax is seen in the
Etosha elephants typically at the end of the wet season and then is
followed by antelope anthrax in the dry season.
The tension between farmers and roaming elephants is of long standing
but more complex than this piece would indicate. Part of the rumpus
reflects a desire by rural folk to harvest elephants for their ivory.
Elsewhere in Africa, elephants are in a very significant decrease in
numbers thanks to uncontrolled poaching and loss of habitat by the
invasion of parks by marginal farmers.
Dealing with elephant carcasses is difficult, as one would imagine.
The prescribed technique is to pile the carcass with thorn brush to
discourage scavengers while the carcass decomposes. The drop in pH
will kill the vegetative cells quickly in the unopened carcass.
Burning takes a significant volume of wood, and it is hard to get
proper ventilation of the underside of the carcass.
Please excuse the delay in posting this report. - Mod.MHJ]