Driven by hunger and cultural practices, tribals in many pockets of Odisha are taking to butchering and de-skinning of dead animals and consuming them, exposing themselves to anthrax, a deadly infectious zoonotic disease.
Ringing alarm bells, scientists from the Indian Medical Council of Research (IMCR)-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, have called for a mass awareness campaign and livestock vaccination in villages and monetary incentive to the tribals for disposal of dead livestock to combat the unhealthy practice of consumption of dead animals.
During the household survey conducted in four anthrax-hit districts—Koraput, Rayagada, Sundargarh and Malkangiri—in April-December, 2017, scientists found that of the 88 anthrax cases reported, at least 36 per cent affected persons were engaged in butchering and deskinning and consuming of dead animals, both as part of their cultural practices as also to combat hunger.
About 23 per cent of the total 555 respondents admitted to follow practices that proscribed burial of dead animals for disposal while about 18 per cent admitted to consuming them.
No surprise that during the last 15 years, out of 30 districts in Odisha, 14 with high density of tribal population, have witnessed outbreak of anthrax affecting at least 1,208 people and killing 436.
Koraput was worst affected with total 354 human anthrax cases and 9 deaths reported in last seven years.
During the survey, the scientists observed that tribals also dig out the buried animal at night and consume the meat. “Meat is dried in sun or in fire and kept hidden for later use. Even the dead animal is consumed at a village get-together,” said scientists Debdutta Bhattacharya, Deepika Barla, Sanghamitra Pati from ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, (Department of Health Research, Union Health Ministry.
Unawareness among the tribals was blatant. “The tribals are at high risk of contracting human anthrax… and they are unaware about the diseases and its preventive measures,” said the survey which noted that about 20 per cent of the respondents had never heard of the deadly disease.
“Vaccination of cattle is often refused. Often the dead people handling infected dead animals and come in contact with infected body fluids while slaughtering, butchering, skinning and consuming the infected meat are at risk,” said scientists.
Also, around 48 per cent of respondents were unaware about the mode of anthrax transmission as a result they often hide skin lesions , thus delaying diagnosis and leading to further spread.
Mainly a disease of cattle, anthrax can be passed off to humans where it manifests in three forms- cutaneous (skin), pulmonary (respiratory) and intestinal. If untreated, risk of death from cutaneous anthrax can go as high as 25 per cent and for the other varieties the risk of death might be up to 75 per cent, even with treatment.
The State Government seems to be least bothered about this rising health hazard. The scientists pointed out that there was a lack of interdepartmental co-ordination, vacant posts at grass-root level in veterinary department, and absence of regular anthrax vaccination programmes.
“It is found that mainly health department along with veterinary department work together during the outbreak but other departments like forest, block administration only attend the meeting during the outbreaks and never part of the control measures for anthrax. Outbreaks gain attention only when it spreads to human,” said the survey.
As per National Animal Diseases Referral Expert System (NADRES) data, anthrax is one of the top 10 diseases reported in India and one of the major causes of deaths in livestock with high case fatality rate.
