April 9, 2013

In an effort to modernise Canada's approach to managing animal diseases, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced changes to its anthrax programme this week.

The CFIA is reminding livestock producers and other stakeholders, that although anthrax is a "federally reportable disease", starting April 1, they will no longer investigate and quarantine anthrax-infected premises, will collect and submit samples for testing, will perform anthrax testing, will provide an initial dose of anthrax vaccine for affected herds, will oversee carcass disposal, cleaning and disinfection, and will pay an indemnity to help cover the cost of disposing of animal carcasses.

Producers seeking advice on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment or disposal of anthrax cases in their herd are encouraged to contact their private veterinarian. Vaccination is an effective way to protect livestock from anthrax. Producers should consult their private veterinarians about the risks associated with anthrax and the decision to have their animals vaccinated - especially if their herd resides in an area where the disease has been detected before.

Anthrax is a pathogen in livestock and wild animals. Some of the more common herbivores are cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels and deer. It infects humans primarily through occupational or incidental exposure with infected animals of their skins.

Anthrax is caused by the bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. This spore forming bacteria can survive in the environment for years because of its ability to resist heat, cold, drying, etc. this is usually the infectious stage of anthrax.

When conditions become favourable, the spores germinate into colonies of bacteria. An example would be a grazing cow ingests spores that in the cow, germinate, grow spread and eventually kill the animal.

The bacteria will form spores in the carcass and then return to the soil to infect other animals. The vegetative form is rarely implicated in transmission. There are no reports of person-to-person transmission of anthrax. People get anthrax by handling contaminated animal or animal products, consuming undercooked meat of infected animals and more recently, intentional release of spores.

There are three types of human anthrax with differing degrees of seriousness: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and inhalation.