Buffalo deaths: Zimbabwe suspects anthrax

October 12 2005 at 09:52AM

Harare - At least 21 buffalo have died in the wildlife resort town of Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe in a suspected outbreak of anthrax, the official Herald newspaper said on Wednesday.

"At the moment, we can only speculate on what is killing the animals based on the symptoms we established. It is definitely not hunger or thirst," the paper quoted Environment and Tourism Ministry Secretary Margaret Sangarwe as saying.

Sangarwe told the Herald that veterinary officers were making further investigations. Officials were not immediately available for further comment on Wednesday.

Anthrax can rapidly kill cattle and other herbivores, but is treatable with antibiotics.


Last year, veterinary officials said more than 2 000 animals, including 100 buffalo, had died in the biggest outbreak of anthrax in Zimbabwe's private sanctuaries and that the disease could have been spread by vultures from an outbreak in neighbouring Botswana.

In their bid to contain that outbreak authorities in Zimbabwe burnt two elephant carcasses, 100 buffalo and more than 2 000 smaller plains animals while over 800 big game animals including 35 rhinos and buffalo were vaccinated against the disease.

Natural anthrax is endemic in Zimbabwe where its bacillus spores can live for decades in dry soil and are ingested by animals ruminating for remnants of vegetation, particularly in the driest months of September and October before the summer rains.

Humans can contract the disease if they cut up, carry or eat the meat of infected animals.

Kathi....thanks for the report and the heads up.....

Just beautiful.
I leave for Hwange for a buffalo hunt in one week.
What now??????????????????????????????

have fun and hope you dont catch it. just dont eat the meat let some else eat it first then see what happens

We get it every year in West Texas out toward Del Rio. As soon as the weather cools off it goes away. Some years are worse than others depending on how much rain we get.

No problem with that, very common down here, we call it carbunclo.
You have to eat or touch or something like that from a putrefact animal to catch it, and with some anthibiotics you can control it.

L