The health department said the people who went to remove and bury the carcasses of the wild boars are being monitored.
Several wild boars have died in Kerala's Athirappilly forest region in the last few days due to an anthrax outbreak, the state government said on Wednesday. Health Minister Veena George said the presence of anthrax has been confirmed in wild boars in the Athirappilly forest area.
"Wild boars have died en masse in the Athirappilly forest area. Subsequently, the Health Department, the Animal Husbandry Department and the Forest Department conducted an investigation. Samples of these were tested to confirm the case of anthrax infection," George said in a statement.
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She said the health department is taking immediate steps to prevent the spread of anthrax, a bacteria naturally found in soil and commonly affecting domestic and wild animals when they contact it. The health department said the people who went to remove and bury the carcasses of the wild boars are being monitored.
They are also being given the necessary preventive treatment, it added. If animals, including wild boars, are found to be dying en masse, special care should be taken, the health authorities said and asked people not to go to such places. They also requested people to report to the authorities if any such cases are noticed.
What is anthrax?
Significantly, anthrax is a naturally occurring bacterium in the soil, which usually affects domestic and wild animals when they come in contact. The serious disease mostly affects sheep and cattle and sometimes humans and can cause deaths.
Humans can become infected through contact with an infected animal or by inhaling spores. Symptoms depend on the route of infection. They can range from a skin ulcer with a dark scab to difficulty breathing.
Antibiotic treatment cures most infections. Inhaled anthrax is harder to treat and can be fatal.
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