The head of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs answered reporters' questions on the recent anthrax epidemic 笔记

Recently, a sheep anthrax epidemic occurred in a livestock farm in Huanan County, Heilongjiang Province, and a cattle anthrax epidemic occurred in Shengli Village, Horqin District, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia. On the current situation of anthrax prevention and control, the reporter interviewed the head of the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Q: The recent anthrax epidemic in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia has aroused social concern. Could you tell us about these two outbreaks?

A: On August 8, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs received a report from the Heilongjiang Provincial Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine that there was an epidemic of sheep anthrax in the breeding farm of Huanan County, Heilongjiang Province. During the period from July 29 to August 7, 12 sheep were infected and 7 died. On August 4, some mutton sheep in the farm were resold to Yilan County. Huanan County and Yilan County launched the emergency response in a timely manner, defined the epidemic point, epidemic area and threatened area, and slaughtered and harmless 818 infected sheep and sheep in the same group in the two counties; It is strictly prohibited to move cattle and sheep and other vulnerable animals in the epidemic area, suspend the trade of animals and their products in the epidemic area, implement emergency immunization for cattle and sheep and other vulnerable animals in the epidemic area and the threatened area, strictly and thoroughly disinfect the animal houses, sites, and all means of transport, drinking utensils, etc. in the epidemic area, organize and carry out epidemic investigation, recover the products of the diseased animals and conduct harmless treatment. At present, the epidemic has been effectively controlled.

On August 13, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs received a report from the Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region that a cattle anthrax epidemic occurred in Shengli Village, Dalin Town, Horqin District, Tongliao City. As of 16:00 on August 13, the village had a total of 54 sick cattle, 29 dead and 25 culled, all of which had been treated innocuously. Horqin District shall delimit the epidemic point, epidemic area and threatened area, block the epidemic area, prohibit the movement of cattle, sheep and other vulnerable animals in the epidemic area, and disinfect the personnel and vehicles entering and leaving the area; Close the livestock trading market in Dalin Town, and carry out emergency immunization against anthrax for vulnerable animals in the epidemic and threatened areas. The surrounding epidemic situation screening and epidemiological investigation are ongoing.

According to preliminary analysis, the two outbreaks occurred in the old anthrax epidemic area. Recently, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and other provinces have experienced heavy rainfall, and local torrential rains. Due to heavy rains and floods, anthrax bacteria exposed to the surface, and livestock contact caused the epidemic.

Q: Can you briefly introduce what is anthrax?

A: Anthrax is an acute, febrile, and septic zoonosis caused by Bacillus anthracis. China lists it as a Class II animal epidemic, the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases lists it as a Class B infectious disease, and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) lists it as a statutory animal reporting epidemic. Anthrax is a global zoonosis, with an annual case of about 20000 to 100000. Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania have all occurred. The anthrax epidemic in China is mainly concentrated in some provinces in the northwest, southwest and northeast. Epidemics may occur in all seasons of the year. The peak of the epidemic is from June to September every year. Drought and flood are the main inducements.

Q: Which animals are mainly infected by anthrax and through which channels?

A: All kinds of domestic animals and wild animals can be infected. Horses, cattle, sheep and other herbivores are susceptible; Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, and people can also be infected.

People and animals are mainly transmitted through the digestive tract, and can also be infected through respiratory tract or damaged skin contact. The contaminated soil, water source and site can form a permanent epidemic focus. In most cases, it is the herbivores such as cattle and sheep that ingest spores when eating grass that cause the infection, and people are infected by contacting the meat, fur, blood or soil and other pollutants of infected animals. It will not be infected with anthrax when exposed to healthy animals such as cattle and sheep and their meat products.

Q: What has the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs done to prevent and control anthrax?

A: In order to prevent and control the anthrax epidemic, the former Ministry of Agriculture issued the Technical Specifications for Anthrax Prevention and Control in 2007 to guide the prevention and control work in all regions. Some provinces have been immunized against susceptible animals in the old and threatened areas of anthrax. All localities should strengthen publicity and education, inform the majority of breeders of anthrax prevention and control knowledge through various ways, and improve the protection awareness of breeders; Strengthen emergency reserves and drills, and immediately start emergency response in case of an epidemic, and deal with the epidemic decisively.

Q: How should herdsmen and farmers do a good job in anthrax prevention and control?

A: Most of anthrax is sporadic epidemic, but the resistance of anthrax spores is very strong. They can survive for more than 40 years in dry soil and polluted grassland. They exist in nature for a long time. Generally, disinfectants have poor efficacy in killing spores and are difficult to remove. Herdsmen and livestock farms, especially in areas where anthrax outbreaks have occurred, should be prevented from the following aspects.

First, conditional farmers should be immune to susceptible animals.

The second is to strictly control the entry of personnel, vehicles and vulnerable animals into the farm, and strictly implement disinfection measures for the farm, enclosure and personnel, vehicles and articles entering and leaving.

Third, do not transport vulnerable animals from epidemic areas; Animals transferred from non-epidemic areas should have complete quarantine procedures. After landing, they should be isolated and observed. If there is no abnormality, they should be mixed in groups.

Fourth, in case of sudden death of cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock or natural pore bleeding, abdominal swelling, high temperature rise, the sick or sick animals should be isolated, and their movement should be restricted, so as not to kill, eat, sell or transfer the dead animals and their products, and reported to the local veterinary department in time.

Q: Can animal meat products such as beef and mutton still be eaten?

A: Do not eat sick and dead cattle, mutton and meat products of unknown origin. The beef and mutton purchased through regular channels are quarantined, and can be safely consumed when cooked.