‘There is no need to be afraid of anthrax in Tatarstan’: State Veterinary Service of Tatarstan on identifying cases in Chuvashia

After the infected with anthrax were found in Chuvashia, an inspection of brought meat and skins was carried out in Tatarstan. This was told by the deputy head of the Main Veterinary Department of the Cabinet of Ministers Gabdulkhak Motygullin.

“A private owner called slaughterers for a calf, and then they got sick with anthrax. The skin and meat were sold to Gypsies. We immediately reacted to this — maybe they sold meat or skin to Tatarstan, but no," he stressed.

According to Motygullin, anthrax is a particularly dangerous disease that has three forms:

“When inhaled, a person gets a pulmonary form — the most terrible. There is a 100% lethality here. The second form is intestinal, when a person eats infected meat. Here the mortality rate is 55%. Cutaneous form — 20% mortality. There is no need to be afraid of anthrax in Tatarstan, all measures for the non-proliferation of the disease have been taken. We vaccinate all susceptible cattle twice a year," he explained.

On March 15, two people in Chuvashia became infected with anthrax. Their condition is assessed as moderate severity. Rosselkhoznadzor is investigating the circumstances of the infection. 130 people who had been in contact with anthrax cases were taken under observation.

It should be noted that the investigators also opened a criminal case against a resident of the village of Staroe Aktashevo of the Tsivilsk Okrug. He is suspected under Part 1 of Article 249 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of veterinary rules and regulations established to combat plant diseases and pests).

On 22 March, it became known about the third case. He left the republic and is now in the Moscow region. The man has been isolated.

As Ayrat Garayev, the former deputy head of the Veterinary Department of Tatarstan, director of the Republican Veterinary Laboratory, told Realnoe Vremya, a possible source of the disease could have gone beyond the region, which is why an enhanced regime has been announced at checkpoints, and a real search is underway on the highways. More details in the material of Realnoe Vremya.