title: An outbreak of human anthrax in Mysore (India).
abstract: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. Intestinal anthrax though a rare entity mostly ends with fatal outcome. Very few cases of intestinal anthrax are reported. Present outbreak of intestinal anthrax is unique in itself that four cases succumbed to the illness within a span of 48-72 hours in a small hamlet of Mysore district of Karnataka, after consuming diseased deer meat. Confirmation of the diagnosis was carried out at NICD, Delhi by bacteriological culture isolation, biochemical tests, animal pathogenicity and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This outbreak clearly indicates surveillance of anthrax in animals in endemic areas is an essential part in the control of the disease with intersectoral coordination between the departments of health, animal husbandary, agriculture and forest.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ichhpujani
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rajagopal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: U V S
authors.initials: UV
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: Veena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ravishankar
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Pasha
authors.forename: Jotna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sokhey
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biswas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged