Voronezh Region declares emergency over anthrax outbreak

The Russian region of Voronezh has declared an emergency over a recent anthrax outbreak. One person has been diagnosed with anthrax, presumably cutaneous, as it was contracted from the carcass of an infected animal. 

The governor of the region, Alexander Gusev, declared a local state of emergency and has banned unauthorized persons from entering the region’s Paninsky district until Nov. 16. The import, export, hunting and slaughter of susceptible animals, as well as the procurement and export of feed and milk is also banned.

Anthrax outbreaks are not uncommon in this region of the world. Most recently in July it was reported that four people infected with anthrax after contact with unvaccinated animals left hospital without authorisation in the country's Tuva region, and in March cases were reported in the republic of Chuvashia in connection to the illegal slaughter of unregistered livestock.

The main difference between these cases is the locale, the Voronezh region shares a border with Ukraine.

We have all heard the Russian accusations about US Biolabs built in Ukraine, and after some toing-and-froing between these nations about this very subject at the BTWC recently, we are expecting to see some accusations lobbed at Ukraine, and potentially the USA, about the origins of this particular outbreak.