4
Some Aspects of Anthrax in Bengal [VOL. XVIII, PART I,
There have been deaths among the equines practically every year, but the mortality figures have
always been very low. The total mortality due to anthrax among equines during 30 years from
1911-12 to 1942-43 is 87 (or 3.2 per cent) out of a total mortality in them due to contagious diseases
of 2,697, and the maximum number of deaths occurring in any year was 15 in 1917-18. This is per-
haps largely due to the fact that Bengal is not a horse-raising country; the total equine census of this
Province is 77,398 only.
In sheep, only four outbreaks have been recorded so far, mostly from Dacca. The mortality
caused was two in 1938-39, 32 in 1936-37, 49 in 1932-33, and 20 in 1923-24.
In goats, especially from 1936-37 onwards, outbreaks have been reported from some districts,
the annual mortality varying between 20 and 154. The total mortality caused by anthrax in goats
from 1936-37 to 1941-42 was 377 (or 2 per cent) out of a total mortality of 17,506 from all causes in
this species, and about 54 per year on an average.
In 1932-33, one death due to anthrax in an elephant was recorded at Jalpaiguri. There are no
authentic reports of the disease breaking out in pigs and other susceptible species.
Anthrax in man
There have been occasions when the disease has spread to human beings. In the 1936 epizootic
[Kerr and Balwant Singh, 1936] involving certain districts in East Bengal, 66 human beings (58 males
and 8 females) became affected. These people were either directly or indirectly connected with
slaughter of infected animals and handling of their hides and flesh. They were mostly hide-merchants,
butchers and cultivators and belonged to beef-eating communities.
In one of the affected villages (Shayestapur, District Noakhali) a cultivator slaughtered a sick
cow which he had purchased the previous day from a neighbouring market, sold, and distributed its
meat to other villagers. Thirteen persons who handled this meat contracted the infection and two of
them, both women, died. Four cattle and one goat also became affected.
The malignant pustules, developing in human beings in these outbreaks generally remained loca-
lized and the majority of the affected persons recovered completely in a few weeks to a few months.
In eight, however, septicaemia developed and death resulted in three to seven days. The pustules
were located on different parts of the body, those most commonly affected being the hands, especially
the fingers, and the face. In order of frequency, the upper extremities were involved in 45 per cent
of cases, the head and face in 27 per cent, the legs in 20 per cent and the trunk in 8 per cent.
In five of the eight fatal cases, the pustules were on head and face, in two on the fingers, and in
one on the leg.
Age and sex of affected animals
There are no records to show at what age the different species of animals acquire infection in
largest number. It seems, however, that adult animals about the middle part of their life, say three
to six years in the case of cattle, are those most susceptible. Regarding sex, there is absolutely no
information. It is possible to make a general statement that so far no particular age, sex, breed and
colour susceptibility to the disease has been observed.
CLINICAL ASPECTS
In this paper, it is not proposed to deal at length with clinical symptoms and post-mortem fea-
tures. Reference was made to the symptoms described by Raymond (loc. cit.) for 'Loodianah
disease' as well as those briefly noted by Kerr and Balwant Singh (loc. cit.). Some information was
also collected from certain officers of the Department, who claimed first-hand clinical experience
of the disease in Bengal. All these accounts were, in general, found to correspond fairly with the
standard text book descriptions of the disease and the variety of symptoms commonly observed in
other parts of the world.
It may, however, be noted that in goats, the disease has generally been seen to run a peracute
course, proving fatal in almost all cases. Deaths have been noted to occur in a few hours and, in
some cases, even in a few minutes after the onset of symptoms.