Five cattle farm workers in Bogor infected with anthrax

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Five workers at a cattle-breeding farm in Bogor, West Java, were infected with anthrax after being exposed to cow's blood last month, raising fears that victims of the disease could increase as the infected blood and excrement were dumped in a nearby river in the densely populated area.

Ajis, Halimi, Iwan, Makmur and Wahyudin, who are all in their 20s, are workers of the cattle-breeding farm, which is owned by Uci, 70, at the Kebon Pedes village of the Tanah Sareal district.

The workers said they knew they were infected with anthrax after being examined and treated at the Bogor Health Center. All victims have round marks on their hands.

Uci said on Monday the incident started on July 28 when one of his seven cows suddenly fell ill.

"I am a breeder. I would have suffered losses if one of my cows died. That's why I slaughtered the cow and sold the meat to Ciawi market for Rp 2.5 million (US$280)," he said.

"I really did not know that the cow was infected with Anthrax until the health agency conducted the examination."

Separately, the Bogor Veterinary Research Institute's head of bacteriology department, Lily Natalia at first refused to confirm the case saying it was "a political case."

She, however, said that one of her staff members, Zulham, became suspicious about the cow and took the cow's spleen to the laboratory.

"Our microscopical and biological examinations revealed that the cow was positively infected with anthrax."

According to Lily, Bacillus anthracis bacteria, which caused anthrax, could spread through blood and excrement of slaughtered cattle.

"The disease can spread if the cattle are not slaughtered properly. The slaughterhouse should be sprayed with formalin afterward to keep it clean," she said. "It can also spread if the workers do not dispose of the blood and excrement properly."

Head of the Bogor slaughterhouse, Apip Supriadi, and head of Bogor Health Agency, Triwanda Elan, were not available for further confirmation.

Uci blamed the local husbandry agency for failing to regularly check and vaccinate all the cattle.

"My other cows were vaccinated only a week ago after it was confirmed that my workers were infected with anthrax.

"I bought the infected cow from a breeder in Cibungbulan only two months before it fell sick."

Uci's farm is located some 700 meters from Vice President Hamzah Haz' residence.

There are about 10 farms and some 85 cows in Kebon Pedes which is located in a densely populated area.

Most of the farms are in a poor condition and reek of the stench of blood. What makes it worse, excrement and blood from the farms, are discharged into Cibalok river.