An anthrax outbreak has overtaken the remote Yamalo-Nenets district of western Siberia killing 1,500 reindeer in a week and forcing the hospitalization of 40 people in the first epidemic of the deadly pathogen since 1941.
Officials cautioned the public that there is still some small possibility that the virulent pathogen is not anthrax saying, “As of now, there is no single diagnosis of the dangerous infection.”
The cause of the anthrax outbreak that forced 63 local residents to be relocated is believed by authorities to have been sourced to a frozen carcass of a reindeer that died decades ago but that thawed in an unseasonably warm Siberian summer causing the Bacillus Anthracis bacteria to be released.
Temperatures in the Yamal tundra above the Arctic Circle have soared to highs of 95 degrees (35 degrees Celsius) compared to an average of 77 degrees (25 degrees Celsius) causing the melting of permafrost and long deceased animals.
The deadly pathogen continues to spread among the Nenet community’s reindeer causing them to die in droves as people stopped vaccinating reindeer against anthrax about a decade ago, after the region had gone half a century without any outbreaks.
It is believed to be too late for the local deer population because anthrax kills the animals within three days of infecting them, according to biology professor Vladimir Bogdanov of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Local authorities are now puzzled as to the best way to dispose of the dead, anthrax infected reindeer. The usual method of burning the carcass possesses substantial risks this season with much of Siberia already engulfed in wildfires.
Anthrax carries a mortality rate of 25% to 80% depending on the virulence of the particular strain.
Russian officials say that due to the remote location of the outbreak and its tendency to kill its host before they can spread the infection to others that the outbreak has been contained.
Cutaneous anthrax symptoms can include:
A group of small blisters or bumps that may itch
- Swelling can occur around the sore
- A painless skin sore (ulcer) with a black center that appears after the small blisters or bumps
- Most often the sore will be on the face, neck, arms, or hands
Inhalation anthrax symptoms can include:
- Fever and chills
- Chest Discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion or dizziness
- Cough
- Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains
- Headache
- Sweats (often drenching)
- Extreme tiredness
- Body aches
Gastrointestinal anthrax symptoms can include:
- Fever and chills
- Swelling of neck or neck glands
- Sore throat
- Painful swallowing
- Hoarseness
- Nausea and vomiting, especially bloody vomiting
- Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea
- Headache
- Flushing (red face) and red eyes
- Stomach pain
- Fainting
- Swelling of abdomen (stomach)
Injection anthrax symptoms can include:
- Fever and chills
- A group of small blisters or bumps that may itch, appearing where the drug was injected
- A painless skin sore with a black center that appears after the blisters or bumps
- Swelling around the sore
- Abscesses deep under the skin or in the muscle where the drug was injected
To Keep in Mind
Injection anthrax symptoms are similar to those of cutaneous anthrax, but injection anthrax can spread throughout the body faster and be harder to recognize and treat than cutaneous anthrax. Skin and injection site infections associated with injection drug use are common and do not necessarily mean the person has anthrax.
CDC guidance and case definitions are available to help doctors diagnose anthrax