Rates and risk factors for human cutaneous anthrax in the country of Georgia: National surveillance data, 2008-2015

Anthrax is endemic in the country of Georgia. The most common cutaneous anthrax form accounts for 95% of anthrax cases and often is self-resolving. Humans are infected from processing contaminated animal products, contacting sick animals, or by insect bites.

We aimed to describe the burden of human cutaneous anthrax and associated risk factors using the national surveillance data.

We extracted all human cutaneous anthrax cases from Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System (EIDSS) from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2015. We conducted descriptive analyses to characterize the number of confirmed, probable and suspected cases by age groups, gender, ethnicity, year and geographic area.

Out of 911 reported cutaneous anthrax cases, 299 (33%) were rejected. Out of remaining 612 cases, 437 (71%), 172 (28%), and 3 (<0.004%) were classified as confirmed, probable and suspected cases of cutaneous Anthrax, respectively; 467 (76.3%) were male. Georgians accounted for 56% (343/612) of cutaneous anthrax cases. Handling animal products (aOR 4.36, 95% CI 2.61-7.26) and living near pastoralist routes (aOR 2.74, 95%CI 1.57-4.76) were associated with cutaneous anthrax.

This study provides eight-year trends for cutaneous anthrax in humans in the country of Georgia. A comprehensive explanation for the observed rise and fall of the incidence rates of human cutaneous anthrax in 2008-2015 remains to be clarified but is likely associated with discontinuation of mandatory national livestock vaccination in 2008 coupled with weakened human and animal national health systems which were disrupted after the Soviet Union collapsed. Our analysis identifies living near pastoralist routes, handling animal products and travel to endemic areas within two weeks before the disease onset as risk factors for cutaneous anthrax. The evidence underscores the importance of One Health recommendations to activate anthrax awareness campaigns, supervise the destruction of known anthrax carcasses, record global position system coordinates of sites and disinfect infected soils and introduce a participatory health education tool on anthrax.