Journal
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
Volume 5, Issue 9, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180479
Keywords
cutaneous anthrax; cultural practices; animal and human interactions; Tanzania
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Funding
- World Bank through the East African Public Health Laboratory Networking (EAPHLN) Project [P153665]
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
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Bacillus anthracis is an aerobic, Gram-positive and sporeforming bacterium, which causes anthrax in herbivores. Humans get infected after coming into contact with infected animals' products. An unmatched case-control study was conducted to identify the importance of demographic, biological and/or behavioural factors associated with human cutaneous anthrax outbreaks in the hotspot areas of Northern Tanzania. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to both cases and controls. The age range of participants was 1-80 years with a median age of 32 years. In the younger group (1-20 years), the odds of being infected were 25 times higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (OR= 25, 95% CI = 1.5-410). By contrast, the odds of exposure in the old group (>= 20 years) were three times lower in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.28-8.00). Demographic characteristics, sleeping on animal's skins, contacting with infected carcasses through skinning and butchering, and not having formal education were linked to exposure for anthrax infection. Hence, a One Health approach is inevitable for the prevention and control of anthrax outbreaks in the hotspot areas of Northern Tanzania.
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