UNAIR NEWS – The recent anthrax incident in Gunungkidul has raised concerns from many parties, including a veterinary expert from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Dr. Nusdianto Triakoso MP drh.
Bacillus anthracis bacteria cause anthrax. These bacteria can become spores when it encounters air and have strong resistance to survival for decades. Therefore, areas that have been detected with anthrax need to be supervised because there is a higher chance of anthrax occurring because livestock is infected from feed contaminated with anthrax spores on the ground.
Improve education and handling procedures
UNAIR Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) lecturer advised the government and related agencies to be able to trace and handle the source of anthrax transmission. After that, the animal husbandry and health services can provide education on the mbrandu tradition, or the symptoms and cure for anthrax in animals and humans.
“Must remind breeders to report all livestock that die suddenly immediately. It is also not permissible to slaughter or cut open livestock that died suddenly in anthrax-endemic areas. Cattle carcasses identified as anthrax must be buried at a minimum depth of two meters and sprinkled with lime. The hope is that the bacteria will die and not appear on the ground and have the potential to infect animals and/or humans,” he said.
Communities should avoid areas detected with anthrax spores. So that anthrax spores do not contaminate the feed that livestock consume. “As a preventive measure in endemic areas, people must treat all livestock that die without cause as sufferers of anthrax. Although, there are no laboratory tests,and they have to do a deep burial. Do not slaughter or cut open animals, even for laboratory test purposes. Laboratory tests can be done from blood samples that come out of the body’s natural holes, “he added.
Livestock immunity
In addition to preventing the infection of livestock, breeders should also increase immunity by vaccination against anthrax. With this vaccine, livestock can be immune even if they occasionally eat feed contaminated with anthrax spores.
Breeders must also report immediately to officers if they find sick cattle.
“In order to be diagnosed as soon as possible. Because if it’s not too severe, you can still be given an antibacterial to recover,” he said.
Mbrandu custom
Questioning the Mbrandu tradition of buying and eating dead livestock to minimize the financial risks, Dr. Nus said this is a common custom.
“In other places, it is usually called dipurak or slaughtering and distributing the meat of livestock that are almost or have died,” he said.
“Not all sick cattle are positive for anthrax. But the habit of eating dead or sick livestock is bad. There should be education from various economic, cultural, and religious perspectives. So, animals that are sick or about to die, even if they have been buried, are not slaughtered, cut open, and consumed,” he explained. (*)
Author: Stefanny Elly
Editor : Binti Q. Masruroh
