Both cases reported in Russian Chuvashia Republic, governor says
Two people have contracted the dangerous Anthrax bacterial infection in the Russian Republic of Chuvashia about 700 km east of Moscow, it was announced on Wednesday.
The governor of the republic, Oleg Nikolaev, announced on Telegram that the patients had been hospitalized with confirmed diagnoses and were currently receiving the necessary treatment.
The doctors responsible describe the conditions of the two infected people as “moderate,” Nikolaev said, adding that their lives were out of danger.
All people who had contact with the anthrax patients were also placed under medical supervision and received preventive treatment, the governor also said.
The Chuvashia Consumer Rights Protection Service, Veterinary Service and the country’s Interior Ministry are working together to prevent the spread of infection, he wrote.
“The main objective is to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of our region, and it will be achieved,” he added. he assured Telegram readers.
The Chuvash Republic, with a population of 1.2 million, is located in the central part of European Russia on the banks of the Volga. The distance between its regional capital Cheboksary and Moscow is about 700 kilometers (about 435 miles).
The last case of anthrax, also called “Siberian plague”, was reported in Russia in June 2022 in the southern Stavropol region. The spread of the infection was quickly contained by local authorities.
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is sometimes found in rural areas and most often affects livestock. Humans can catch it from animals, usually from infected carcasses, as well as from wool, hair and hides.
The disease can affect the skin, lungs and intestines. Respiratory anthrax is the most dangerous, with a 50% to 80% mortality rate even with treatment, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the most common is the cutaneous form of the disease, which is fatal in less than 24% of cases without treatment.
Hundreds of thousands of people died of anthrax before the scientific advances of the 20th century, but the number of cases was drastically reduced thanks to the use of antibiotics to treat patients and the vaccination of animals.
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