Yamal Peninsula Hit By Anthrax Outbreak
▻http://www.inquisitr.com/3365606/yamal-peninsula-hit-by-anthrax-outbreak
Authorities are taking every cautionary measure possible after an outbreak of anthrax spread throughout the Yamal Peninsula area earlier this week.
On July 25, officials issued a quarantine of the area after some dead wildlife tested positive for the anthrax bacteria. Three days later, authorities sent hundreds of doses of the anthrax vaccine.
According to a press release posted by The Artic, Yamal medical professionals responded to the anthrax suspicions immediately. They issued their statement on the outbreak.
1,500 deer have died due to anthrax outbreak in Yamal Peninsula, Russia
“Yamal medical personnel began working immediately after veterinary doctors speculated on the cause of the reindeer deaths. To be safe, all nomadic families were treated with the antibiotic. All children and pregnant women were immediately taken from the affected area to hospitals in Yar-Sale and Salekhard.”
Officials believe the outbreak began when an infected, deceased animal defrosted due to unusual temperature changes, presumably because of global warming.
Authorities estimate that about 150 people were affected total, and at least 40 people, children included, were hospitalized after exposure to what experts believe to be the anthrax bacteria. Most of the people affected are from small herding villages in the northern region of Siberia. While officials have no confirmed cases of the bacteria yet, doctors have those 40 people under close surveillance, watching for any signs that it is, in fact, an outbreak of anthrax.