Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Presence of anthrax at Joypur confirmed

By Ann service

DULIAJAN, Dec 8 - The wild denizens of Joypur rainforest in Dibrugarh district are now in grave danger as the post-mortem report of the carcass of the elephant calf found on December 2 detected anthrax infection.

After the recovery of carcasses of a calf and a female elephant on December 2 and 5, veterinary doctors from Guijan and Naharkatia suspected the mysterious deaths to be cases of anthrax infection.

According to information available today in the office of the core lab of Advanced Animal Disease Diagnosis and Management Consortium, the College of Veterinary Science at Khanapara in Guwahati confirmed the presence of anthrax infection in the blood sample collected from the carcass of the elephant calf on December 4.

The examination report with reference No.99(142)/F-23 (b)/DRV/DBT�ADMaC/ 2020/89 stated that �methylene bluestain typical anthrax like bacilli� was recorded.

It may be mentioned that in the past, anthrax infection caused the death of 18 elephants in Orissa. Moreover, caused by the bacteria bacillus anthracis, the deadly infection led to the death of 177 cattle in Zimbabwe in January last.

Bacillus anthracis is a type of bacteria capable of lying dormant in the form of spores in carcasses and burial grounds of infected animals. The danger of a rise in anthrax contamination and subsequent threat to their existence cannot be ruled out, even as the state forest department seems to have its hands full. Moreover, the rainforest has some of the busiest elephant corridors in Asia.

Next Story