Outbreak of Anthrax in Siberia...

[Rockhopper]

40 people affected!

The 40 are all from a total of 63 nomads belonging to a dozen families who were at the site of the outbreak at Tarko-Sale Faktoria camp. The remaining nomads have been evacuated some 60 kilometres from the focus of infection in Yamalsky district.

A prolonged period of exceptionally hot weather in an Arctic Siberian district - with temperatures of up to 35C - has led to melting of permafrost in Yamalo-Nenets and other regions.

The outbreak of anthrax earlier this week is the first in this part of Russia since 1941.

Officials say 1,200 reindeer have died in recent days, evidently through a combination of infection from anthrax, and the heatwave - unprecedented in living memory.

A major inoculation programme is also underway with a local state of emergency declared at Tarko-Sale Faktoria camp, above the Arctic Circle and close to the Yaro To lake, some 340 kilometres north-east of Salekhard.

From here.

Tim

[Agartha]

Wow...... I actually always thought anthrax was a biological weapon, man made!!

Poor people....... see global warming can cause all kinds of evil......

[Kaere]

Theres anthrax in some fields here in various places. Sometimes cattle will pick it up *yikes* but its been a long time since it jumped to humans on a similar scale. I hope its under control soon...

[Lenzabi]

Yep, Military grade Anthrax is weaponized livestock/herder killer.

[Rockhopper]

Anthrax is one of the Clostridium bacterias. Most are benign but a few are nasty! Diphtheria, Tetanus and some forms of Gangrene are caused by Clostridium bacteria.

Most just live in the soil and break down celulose.

Tim.

[Agartha]

Ah, I didn't know, and I deal every week with some kind of patient isolated due to Clostridium difficile infection!!

[Stirky]

I didn't know that either!! I have also dealt with patients with Clostridium difficile infections! Oh nasty infections they are too!!! Really makes people very very ill. But I didn't know anthrax was linked to that group!

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