This is no more than an unsubtantiated tip off at this stage and may go no further. We shall have to wait and see. But I am told that a case of anthrax has been identified between Tewkesbury and Gloucester in the west of England. If this is so, the measures implimented by the manufactured foot and mouth crisis will be like a tea party in comparision. But I stress again that this is no more than an unsubtantiated tip and should not be treated as more than something to store away in the memory for now.
Anthrax is primarily a disease of domesticated and wild animals, particularly herbivorous animals.
Humans become infected when brought into contact with diseased animals, their hides or hair, or their excrement. Many species of animals and birds can acquire the disease naturally. The most common form of the disease in humans is cutaneous anthrax, which is usually acquired via injured skin or mucous membranes. A minor scratch or abrasion, usually on an exposed area of the face or neck or arms, is inoculated by spores from the soil or a contaminated animal or carcass. The spores germinate, vegetative cells multiply, and a characteristic gelatinous edema develops at the site.