1. BRIEFING
MEMO:
ANTHRAX
IN
THE
ARCTIC
Prepared
August
5,
2016
From:
Diana
Weber
Date:
August
5,
2016
BACKGROUND:
Anthrax,
a
zoonotic
disease
that
occurs
naturally
in
the
soil
and
affects
grazing
herbivores,
has
been
suggested
to
be
re-­‐emerging
globally.
In
the
last
five
months,
anthrax
has
been
reported
in
humans
consuming
infected
meat
[India,
Bangladesh,
Bhutan,
Ukraine,
Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan,
Ghana,
Zimbabwe,
Tanzania,
Kenya],
livestock
deaths
[India,
Indonesia,
Kyrgyzstan,
Romania,
Bulgaria,
Italy,
France,
Sweden,
Argentina,
Canada,
Uganda]
and
wildlife
deaths
[India,
Russia].
Livestock
not
being
vaccinated,
enforcement
not
being
implemented,
and
improper
disposal
of
carcasses
provides
avenues
for
anthrax
to
be
endemic
in
certain
regions.
The
infection
in
humans,
livestock,
and
wildlife
is
caused
by
exposure
to
the
spores
from
the
bacteria
(Bacillus
anthracis)
and
becomes
active
growing
cells
when
taken
into
the
body.
After
an
animal
dies,
the
spores
enter
the
environment
and
are
taken
up
by
surrounding
flora.
Grazing
is
considered
the
dominant
transmission
route
for
many
animals.
Spores
can
remain
dormant
100
years
or
more
before
being
activated.
The
four
types
of
anthrax
relate
to
method
of
entry
into
body:
(1)
cutaneous
[most
common/least
dangerous],
(2)
gastrointestinal
[rarely
in
US],
(3)
inhalation
[most
deadly
form],
and
(4)
injection
[drug
users].
Each
differs
in
survivability
with
and
without
treatment.
PROBLEM:
None
of
the
above
mentioned
incidents
are
on
the
scale
of
the
anthrax
outbreak
in
the
Arctic
region
of
Russia.
The
epidemic
is
currently
in
the
Yamal
Peninsula,
Western
Siberia,
which
is
southeast
of
Salekhard,
the
capital
of
Yamalo-­‐Nenets,
Russia,
near
the
Arctic
Circle.
The
Yamal
Peninsula
is
a
heavily
used
junction
in
the
fall/spring
reindeer
migration
route.
This
region
has
had
18
days
straight
of
82°F,
peaking
at
92.7°F
July
23rd
.
Reindeer
deaths
were
originally
attributed
to
the
unusually
high
temperatures.
It
is
thought
that
thawing
of
the
permafrost
from
these
protracted
high
temperatures
may
have
exposed
a
burial
site
for
either
an
infected
reindeer
or
human
and
subsequently
animals
grazing
in
the
vicinity
became
exposed
to
the
spores
or
scavenger
animals
fed
on
the
carcass.
To
date,
over
2500
reindeer
have
died
from
anthrax
or
heat.
Anthrax
is
not
new
to
the
region
and
spores
are
known
to
be
in
the
soil,
as
there
are
burial
grounds
with
35,000
officially
registered
animals
that
died
of
anthrax.
Up
until
ten
years
ago
reindeer
were
vaccinated
against
anthrax
but
regional
authorities
stopped
this
because
there
had
been
no
outbreaks
in
over
50
years.
The
last
outbreak
was
in
1941.
On
July
26th
and
27th
2016,
the
anthrax
vaccine
was
given
to
3000
reindeer
and
will
continue
until
all
700
000
reindeer
in
the
Yamal
district
have
been
vaccinated,
including
those
in
neighboring
Tazovshy
and
Priuralsky
districts,
though
no
reported
cases
in
those
areas.
To
date,
90
people
have
been
hospitalized,
of
which
23
are
confirmed
infected
with
anthrax
(2/3
thought
to
have
the
cutaneous
form)
and
there
has
been
one
death
from
the
intestinal
form.
Russian
authorities
have
established
an
11000
square
km
buffer
zone
around
the
outbreak
area.
The
Chemical,
Radioactive
and
Biological
Protection
Corps
of
the
Russian
military
were
deployed
to
the
site
to
properly
dispose
of
hazardous
dead
animals
and
disinfect
points
of
infection.
BIG
PICTURE:
Noted
concerns
include
i)
the
potential
of
the
outbreak
to
spread
to
regions
neighboring
the
outbreak
site
and
other
parts
of
Russia;
ii)
reindeer
meat,
antlers,
and
skins
being
sold
on
the
black
market
and
these
products
spreading
the
anthrax
spores,
and
iii)
the
import
of
reindeer
products
being
prohibited
by
other
countries.
This
region
depends
heavily
on
exports
to
EU
countries
and
the
UK.
As
of
August
4th
,
Kazakhstan
has
suspended
all
livestock
and
animals
products
from
Russia.
Another
concern
is
the
obtainment
of
anthrax
spores
by
terrorism
organizations
as
was
attempted
by
Islamic
State
for
a
planned
attack
on
April
29,
2016
in
Kenya.
Insight
into
the
potential
long-­‐term
environmental
effects
from
exposure
to
anthrax
comes
from
the
1942
experiment
on
Gruinard
Island
off
Scotland,
in
which
bombs
of
anthrax
were
released
over
the
entire
island.
The
island
was
uninhabitable
until
1986
when
Great
Britain
soaked
the
island
with
mixture
of
formaldehyde
and
seawater
for
a
year
to
decontaminate
all
anthrax
spores.