The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) reports the confirmation of an anthrax case in a sheep and cattle farm in the Harmanli village of Slavyanovo, in the southeast of the country.
Laboratory tests of samples have proven the presence of the bacteria in the farm with about 200 sheep and 100 cattle.
As a result, vaccination of the animals at the site was undertaken, which continues in the surrounding farms.
The farm has been disinfected and the movement of animals to and out of the facility has been restricted, according to the BFSA.
Haskovo Regional Governor Dr. Stefka Zdravkova predicts that this will remain a single isolated case.
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by a bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. Many different types of animals, as well as people, can get the disease.
In animals, signs of the illness usually appear 3 to 7 days after the spores are swallowed or inhaled. Once signs begin in animals, they usually die within two days. Infected animals may stagger, have difficulty breathing, tremble, and finally collapse and die within a few hours. Sometimes animals may have a fever and a period of excitement followed by staggering, depression, unconsciousness (lacking awareness), difficulty breathing, seizures, and death. Dark blood may ooze from the mouth, nose, and anus.
Handling or eating a dead or sick animal infected with anthrax can transmit anthrax to humans and other animals. Anthrax is not spread by sneezing or coughing. Person-to-person spread of the disease is unlikely.