Tamil Nadu

Cow elephant dies of anthrax near Anaikatti

S Senthil Kumar

COIMBATORE: In the first case in nearly five years. a cow elephant died of anthrax near Anaikatti in Coimbatore forest division on Monday. The carcass of the elephant, believed to be 10-15 years old, was spotted by anti-poaching watchers during patrol at Salim Ali forest area. Sources said the animal might have died four days ago and blood was oozing from its mouth and anus, symptoms that it was Anthrax.

To ascertain the cause of death, blood samples were collected from the elephant’s ear vein and sent to the Animal Disease Intelligence Unit (ADIU) in Coimbatore. Results confirmed that the animal died of the deadly bacterial infection.District Forest Officer D Venkatesh said, “Our frontline staff spotted her on July 8 during patrol. We suspect that the animal separated from her herd soon after the infection.”

The SOP issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2020 January states that personnel handling the carcass of an animal that died of anthrax should wear PPE (personal protective equipment) as anthrax is a zoonotic disease. Further, the guidelines mandate that the carcass be burnt. 

Sources, said that  Prabhakar, veterinary assistant surgeon in Anaikatti, allegedly wore gloves and not a PPE suit when collecting blood samples. Prabhakar denied the charge.While Venkatesh said the carcass will be burnt as per the SOP on Tuesday, a senior official said they were checking if there were other sick elephants in the area.

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease affecting herbivores. It is caused by bacteria known as Bacillus Anthracis, which is found naturally in soil. Animals get infected when they come in contact with contaminated soil, plants, or water. Four wild elephants died of anthrax in Coimbatore forest division over the last 10 years. The deaths were reported in Periyanacikenpalayam, Sirumugai Madukkarai and Mettupalayam. The last incident was reported in December 2016, when a tusker died due to anthrax near Kombuthooki Amman temple in Karadimadai.

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