First Anthrax Death This Year Recorded in China; Cause of Infection Linked to the Slaughter of Sick Cattle

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of China reported two anthrax cases in the past month. The two cases were a 14-year-old student from Shandong Province who died on August 6 and a 35-year-old man transferred to an isolation facility for treatment and quarantine.

The death of the 14-year-old patient is the first anthrax death recorded this year. The two infections were linked to slaughtering sick cattle and handling their meat.

Anthrax Cases in China

Patient A, as China CDC had designated the 14-year-old patient, reported on July 28 experiencing diarrhea, fever, fatigue, convulsions, and retching. He was taken to a clinic on July 30 but was transferred on the next day to Binzhou Medical University Hospital due to some sudden symptoms.

As China CDC Weekly reported, the teen died on August 6, which he was voluntarily discharged from the hospital. His corpse was treated under the disposal regulations for anthrax cases, while his burial site has been disinfected.

Two days later, the 35-year-old patient was diagnosed to have cutaneous anthrax by Shandong CDC. The team found that Patient B slaughtered sick cattle bought on July 25 from Wendian Town in Yangxin County, where Patient A lives. The cattle seller told the agency that they bought the cattle from Jilin Province in early July.

Shandong CDC and other health agencies have implemented a strict 12-ay quarantine for all close contacts of the two anthrax patients. There are 24 people quarantined at home, while nine were at centralized facilities.

Investigators have checked the cattle and sheep farms and family members and close contacts of the patients. Patient A's family members and close contacts tested negative, but they found Bacillus anthracis from ground swab specimens collected from cold storage.

Meanwhile, five samples from Patient B's contacts tested positive for anthrax-specific genes. A nucleic acid testing showed that two samples collected from slaughtered sick cattle tested positive for the infection.

ALSO READ: Acknowledging Major Blunder, The Pentagon Sent Out Anthrax to Labs Across the US

More Anthrax Cases in China

China has confirmed several suspected cases of anthrax in the past month, particularly in Beijing and in Shanxi Province, North China. As reported in Breaking Latest News, patients in these areas recently experienced papules in their limbs that turned into blisters, crusted, blackened, and ulcerated that are suspected to be caused by infection of skin anthrax.

A total of nine people experienced those similar symptoms, while four have been treated in Taiyuan, and two patients were already discharged. All patients were found to be involved in cattle breeding, slaughter, and sales.

What is Anthrax?

According to CDC, anthrax is caused by gram-positive bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. They can be found in soil and commonly infects both domestic and wild animals. People can get infected from anthrax when spores get into the body via contaminated food, water, and air. The bacteria are activated once inside the body, multiplying, producing toxins, and cause severe illness.

Cattle, sheep, goats, antelopes, ad deers can be infected when they ingest or breathe in spores from contaminated plants, water, and soil. Livestock owners are encouraged to vaccinate their animals to prevent anthrax infections.

Developing countries tend to have more anthrax cases due to the lack of veterinary public health programs. But the US has yearly livestock vaccination, especially in areas with previous anthrax cases.