Pribadi Wicaksono, Jakarta – The Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) is preparing thousands of doses of livestock vaccinations to curb the spread of anthrax in Gunungkidul Regency.
Earlier this week, cases of anthrax were found in Padukuhan Jati, Candirejo, Semanu District, Gunungkidul, killing one man who tested positive. Meanwhile, 87 people in the regency are now suspected of having contracted anthrax.
"To anticipate widespread cases, we are intensifying anthrax vaccination," Yogyakarta's Agriculture and Food Security Office (DPKP) head Sugeng Purwanto said on Thursday, July 6.
Sugeng said that 2,600 doses of anthrax vaccine have been prepared; of which 366 doses had been administered to 77 cows and 289 goats in parts of Gunungkidul known to have been exposed to anthrax.
"The application for anthrax vaccination is based on a request from the district/city concerned," he said, adding that the local health office had also asked for additional doses.
To prevent wider transmission, the government of Yogyakarta has also isolated and banned the traffic of cattle and goats in Dusun Jati. Sugeng said that efforts to control livestock in Gunungkidul were a particular challenge given the high number of livestock and the location of the pens which were not concentrated in one place.
Sugeng revealed that there were 12 livestock consisting of six cows and six goats that had anthrax. They have all been treated.
"We guarantee that so far there is no meat in circulation that came from livestock suspected of being infected with anthrax virus," he said.
No human-to-human transmission
Yogyakarta Health Office chief Pembajun Setyaningastutie reiterated that anthrax is not transmitted from human to human. Transmissions are only from animals to humans.
"We need to underline that anthrax is a zoonotic disease. It does not spread from human to human," she said.
Pembajun explained that anthrax in humans can attack the skin, respiration, and digestion. If there are symptoms on the skin, it usually means that the human was in contact with cattle that are positive for anthrax.
If anthrax attacks the respiratory tract, it means that the human had breathed the spores from farm animals that had died positive for anthrax.
"Digestive anthrax is caused by consuming meat or anything from livestock that has tested positive for anthrax," he said.