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...but no need for panic.
Wiltshire Council and partners deal with Westbury incident
An isolated case of anthrax in a cow has been confirmed at a farm in the Westbury area of Wiltshire following the death of a cow at the end of last week.
This case was rapidly detected and colleagues from Wiltshire Council, Public Health England, DEFRA, Environment Agency and Animal Plant and Health Agency worked swiftly together to take robust action. The cow has been incinerated and movement restrictions are in place at the farm.
Mike Wade, Deputy Director of Health Protection for Public Health England South West said: “We are aware of a confirmed case of anthrax disease in a cow in the Westbury area of Wiltshire. The risk of infection in close human contacts of the animal is very low, and we are in touch with any potential contacts to offer public health advice.”
Maggie Rae, Director of Public Health and Wiltshire Council Corporate Director said: “We worked with our partners both locally and nationally and swift action was taken to deal with the immediate risk. We know any risk is low, however as you would expect, we are taking this very seriously and we will be doing everything in our power to support the national and local experts to keep Wiltshire safe.”
The risk of infection in close human contacts of the animal is very low, and we are in touch with any potential contacts to offer public health advice. However it is important to stress, there is currently no risk to the wider community.
Anthrax is a bacterial disease which is naturally occurring. It primarily affects herbivorous animals, although all mammals are susceptible to infection.
In humans, anthrax can affect the skin and, rarely, the respiratory or gastro-intestinal tract. It is caused by the aerobic bacillus, Bacillus anthracis, and is spread by spores. Spores can be found in animal products such as wool, hair, hides, skins, bones, bonemeal and in the carcasses of infected animals. The spores can also contaminate soil and may survive for many years.
Human cases of anthrax are very rare. The risk to the general public is extremely low but it is kept under constant review. No cattle from the field have entered the food chain but as a precaution a local public footpath has been closed.