Massive outbreak of anthrax in wildlife in the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe

Clegg, Sarah B; Turnbull, P. C. B.; Foggin, Chris; Lindeque, Pauline

doi:10.1136/vr.160.4.113

Cited by 78 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In support of the present study findings, it has been a consistent observation worldwide that anthrax is a hot season disease (De Vos 1990;Dragon and Rennie 1995;Dragon et al 1999;Johnson 2005;Clegg et al 2007). Anthrax seasons have been reported to be characterized by hot-dry weather which stresses animals and reduce their innate resistance to infection allowing low doses of spores to be infective (Hugh-Jones and Blackburn 2009).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Temporal and spatial distribution of cattle anthrax outbreaks in Zimbabwe between 1967 and 2006

Chikerema

Pfukenyi

Matope

et al. 2011

Trop Anim Health Prod

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This retrospective study aimed to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of anthrax and to identify risk areas in Zimbabwe. The data were extracted from the monthly and annual reports of the Division of Livestock Production and Veterinary Services for the period 1967 to 2006. The data were analyzed in relation to temporal and spatial factors. The hot-dry season was found to be significantly (X 2 = 847.8, P< 0.001) associated with the occurrence of anthrax in cattle and the disease was found to be approximately three times more likely to occur during this season compared to other seasons. Anthrax outbreaks demonstrated a gradual temporal increase from an annual mean of 3 outbreaks for the 5-year period (1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971) to 42 for the 5-year period (2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006). Similarly, the data demonstrated a spatial increase in the number of districts affected by anthrax between 1967 and 2006, with 12 districts affected for the 10-year period (1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976) that expanded to 42 districts for the 10-year period (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006). The majority of outbreaks (83.7%) were recorded in rural areas and eleven districts were found to be at a higher risk than others. There is need to develop differential vaccination strategy, other control strategies and preventive recommendations to reduce anthrax in high risk districts. In the medium to low risk districts, maintenance of effective surveillance systems and improvement of awareness is very important to detect and contain outbreaks early.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Temporal and spatial distribution of cattle anthrax outbreaks in Zimbabwe between 1967 and 2006

Chikerema

Pfukenyi

Matope

et al. 2011

Trop Anim Health Prod

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“…Since 1967, the first reported cattle anthrax outbreak in the district was in 2005, but no human outbreaks have yet been reported. Between August and November, 2004, a massive outbreak of anthrax occurred in wildlife (Clegg et al 2007) in the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve located in Chiredzi district resulting in the death of almost all of the reserve's estimated 500 kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Cattle owners in Chiredzi district named the kudu as another animal species affected by anthrax.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Awareness and Attitude Toward Zoonoses with Particular Reference to Anthrax Among Cattle Owners in Selected Rural Communities of Zimbabwe

Chikerema

Matope

Pfukenyi

2013

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess cattle owners' awareness, perceptions, and attitudes toward zoonoses, with particular emphasis regarding anthrax. Data on awareness of zoonoses, clinical signs of anthrax in animals and human, its routes of transmission and methods of prevention, the families' consumption habits of anthrax-infected carcasses, and other family activities that increase exposure to anthrax were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. A total of 41.4% (135/326) of the farmers were from high-anthrax-risk districts, whereas 28.5% and 30.1% were from medium-and low-risk districts, respectively. Overall, the level of awareness amongst the farmers for the named zoonoses were rabies (88.7%), anthrax (71.5%), and brucellosis (20.9%). Except for anthrax, awareness of other zoonoses did not differ significantly ( p > 0.05) among the district categories. Farmers from anthrax high-risk districts were significantly more aware of anthrax compared to those from moderate-( p = 0.000) and low-( p = 0.000) risk districts. All of the farmers were aware that anthrax occurs in cattle, and 73% indicated the presence of unclotting blood oozing from natural orifices as a consistent finding in cattle that died of anthrax, whereas 86.7% of them indicated the presence of skin lesions as the most common sign of the disease in humans. The good efficacy of human anthrax treatment (58.3%), slaughter of moribund cattle and selling of meat from cattle found dead to unsuspecting consumers (59.8%), reluctance to lose animals (47.9%), and forgetting about anthrax (41.1%) were cited as the major reasons for consuming anthrax-infected carcasses. Given that 75.2% of cattle owners indicated that they would not consume meat from cattle found dead, because they were discouraged by veterinary authorities, introducing meat inspection services is likely to have a positive impact in preventing human anthrax outbreaks in Zimbabwe.

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“…Anthrax outbreaks occur world-wide and are of concern for animal conservation (Leendertz et al 2004, Muoria et al 2007), wildlife management (Clegg et al 2007, Wafula et al 2008, agriculture (Mongoh et al 2008, Durrheim et al 2009, Lewerin et al 2010) and public health (Siamudaala et al 2006). Anthrax is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis which can infect a wide range of animal species, but mortalities are most commonly observed in herbivorous mammals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil ingestion, nutrition and the seasonality of anthrax in herbivores of Etosha National Park

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is a seasonally occurring infectious disease affecting primarily herbivorous wildlife and livestock. The seasonality of anthrax outbreaks varies among locations, making it difficult to develop a single consistent ecological description of this disease. Over 44 years of mortality surveillance, most anthrax cases in Etosha National Park, Namibia are observed in the wet season, although elephants have an anthrax mortality peak in the dry season. Focusing on three host species (plains zebra, Equus quagga; African elephant, Loxodonta africana; and springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis) occupying the endemic anthrax area of Etosha National Park, Namibia, we tested two commonly posited causes of anthrax seasonality in herbivores: increased pathogen exposure due to greater soil contact, and increased host susceptibility due to seasonal nutritional stress. These hypotheses were assessed using fecal sampling and measurement of the percentage of fecal silicates as an index of soil ingestion and fecal nitrogen, phosphorus and crude fiber as nutritional indices. Nutritional quality for all three species was higher in wet than dry seasons. Comparing among wet seasons, nutritional indices showed either a decline in nutrition with increasing rainfall or no significant pattern. All three species had greater soil ingestion in the wet season than the dry season. Higher soil contact during the anthrax peak suggests that anthrax seasonality may in part be due to heightened exposure to B. anthracis in wet seasons, for zebra and springbok. Elephant anthrax deaths do not correspond with the season of increased soil ingestion or grazing, suggesting that other behavioral mechanisms may overshadow foraging-based risk factors for this species. Nutritional stress is unlikely the primary causative factor in wet season anthrax systems, although nutritional stress sufficient to reduce resistance is difficult to assess non-invasively in wild herbivores. In contrast, increased soil ingestion may be an important predisposing factor for wet season anthrax outbreaks. Ultimately, the amount of soil ingested and its importance in the transmission of soil-borne pathogens will vary based on foraging behaviors, intake rates, grassland structure and on the likelihood that foraging areas intersect with pathogen aggregations in the environment.

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Massive outbreak of anthrax in wildlife in the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe

Cited by 78 publications

References 3 publications

Temporal and spatial distribution of cattle anthrax outbreaks in Zimbabwe between 1967 and 2006

Temporal and spatial distribution of cattle anthrax outbreaks in Zimbabwe between 1967 and 2006

Awareness and Attitude Toward Zoonoses with Particular Reference to Anthrax Among Cattle Owners in Selected Rural Communities of Zimbabwe

Soil ingestion, nutrition and the seasonality of anthrax in herbivores of Etosha National Park

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