NE China Anthrax Disease Under Control

NE China anthrax disease under control

SHENYANG, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) — The infectious disease of anthrax, which has led one dead in northeastern Liaoning Province, was brought under control, local government announced Sunday.

By 9 p.m. Sunday, the city of Xinmin, where the disease broke out, has not received report of new case for seven consecutive days and local people’s life was back to normal, said Sun Baijun, deputy director of the Disease Control Center of Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning.

All the 11 patients of the disease, who used to suffer from skin canker and high fever, were almost cured and they were in quarantine for further observation, said Sun. The infectious disease of Anthrax is usually fatal to warm-blooded animals, especially cattle and sheep. It is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis and can be transmitted to human beings through contact with contaminated animal substances, such as hair, feces, or hides, said Sun. Twelve Anthrax cases, including seven diagnosed cases and five suspected ones, have been reported in the province by Sunday since the disease was first detected at the Damintun Township in Xinmin City on July 29.

The patients’ age ranges from 20 to 47 and one man died of the disease, said Sun.

The provincial health department has disinfected the disease- stricken areas and more than 600 heads of livestock were slaughtered, said Sun.

In addition, local government also inoculated vaccines for the cattle and sheep, which are vulnerable to the disease.