Naharkatiya: A
wild elephant carcass was discovered in the Jyepore range Dibrugarh Forest-Division in
the Dibrugarh district of Assam on Sunday (December 6).
The carcass was discovered two days later, after an
elephant calf was found dead inside the Jeypore rainforest in Naharkatiya,
Tinsukia on December 2.
The cause of the death of both elephants is same.
A Veterinarian from Naharkatiya has suspected that the
elephant calf has died of a contagious disease. And after examining the carcass
of the elephant rescued on December 2, doctors revealed that the calf was
infected with a disease called anthrax.
In this regard, the Department of Forests of Dibrugarh
has informed that there is a high risk of contracting the disease from water or
dust that comes in contact with the carcasses of other previously infected
animals or an animal that died of this particular disease. They said, "In this
context, this elephant carcass also may infect more animals, even humans, in the
forest in the future."
It is noteworthy that in the past, 18 elephants have
died in a forest in Odisha due to this particular disease.
Thus keeping in view the death toll and to prevent such
a situation the Jeypore Forest Department had set fire to the dead elephant
instead of burying the body.
According to the doctors if the carcass is buried also
even after 10 years it's residual water or exposure to the soil can pose a
serious threat to other animals and humans.
Anthrax is an "acute widespread Infectious Disease "
that occurs throughout the globe and is particularly prevalent in herbivorous
animals. Animals like goats, horses, pigs may get the infection as well and
because it is a zoonotic disease, humans can get the infection through infected
cattle. The disease is found in all parts of the world and, in India, it occurs
countrywide. Some districts are even considered as anthrax districts (anthrax
belts).
It is commonly found among animals in the southern Indian states and is rarely found in the northern Indian states.
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