Four carabaos in the town of Santo Niño, Cagayan, have been confirmed dead after contracting anthrax, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 2.
Two local residents were also infected after consuming meat from the contaminated carabaos.
DA-Region 2 Regional Executive Director Rosemary Aquino revealed that the symptoms of anthrax were first observed on September 21, when the carabaos were slaughtered, with visible skin lesions on the animals before they died.
However, the incident was not immediately reported to the DA, as farmers assumed the symptoms were common livestock diseases.
The Department of Agriculture advised farmers not to consume the meat of animals suspected of having anthrax and to bury them immediately to prevent the disease from spreading to other animals or humans.
Currently, the DA, Department of Health (DOH), and the Provincial Health Office are conducting vaccinations for carabaos aged six months and above in Brgy. Matalao, Santo Niño, Cagayan, to prevent further outbreaks.
Tests conducted by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed that the infected carabaos had not been vaccinated against anthrax.
The Provincial Health Office is collaborating with local authorities to launch an information campaign to raise public awareness about the risks of anthrax and how to prevent its spread.
Aquino urged farmers to report any signs of anthrax among their livestock, and the government has tightened restrictions on the transport and sale of carabao meat outside the affected town.
Health authorities, including the DOH and Cagayan Provincial Health Office, are conducting intensified surveillance and monitoring for possible human anthrax infections after approximately 141 residents bought meat from the infected carabaos.
In December 2022, 12 suspected cases of human anthrax were reported in Cagayan, with three confirmed by the DOH. This was the last recorded outbreak in the area in two years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anthrax is a serious disease caused by the Bacillus anthracis bacteria, which is naturally found in soil worldwide.
It primarily affects livestock and wild animals, but humans can contract the disease through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.