ANTHRAX IN CATTLE- IS BLEEDING FROM NATURAL ORIFICES A LEADING CLUE TO DIAGNOSIS?

Anthrax, one of the most dreaded zoonotic diseases is characterized by sudden death in cattle. It is normally considered that oozing of unclotted tarry blood from the external natural orifices is suggestive of Anthrax. Here we report two cases of anthrax in cattle wherein bleeding in any form was not detected. One was from a cross-bred cow and another from a bullock, which were brought for necropsy examination with a history of sudden death from the nearby slaughter house. The carcasses were bloated and rigor mortis was partial. The peripheral blood smear examination from both the cases revealed the presence of truncated, capsulated, short rods of Bacillus anthracis. This clearly warrants the need for examination of peripheral blood smear examination before attempting autopsy, as anthrax in an occult form may be present in the cases, which may definitely pose a zoonotic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]