An employee wearing protective gear works at a cattle farm east of Budapest, Hungary, on July 4, 2014 amid possible anthrax infection in the area.  EPA/Zsolt Czegledi 

MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday clarified that anthrax does not spread from person to person like commons cold or flu. 

In a statement, the DOH said people who work with animals and their products, such as veterinarians, farmers, livestock personnel and others, may have a higher risk of getting infected.

“Anthrax does not spread from person to person like colds or the flu. It is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis, which produces spores. Animals like livestock are the ones most affected,” DOH said.

“The risk of the general public getting infected by Anthrax is very low,” it added.

Available vaccines for anthrax are also not used for the general population, “because the risk is specific to certain populations and occupations”, the DOH explained.

DOH warned against raw or undercooked meat or meat products, as well as contact with livestock and animal remains.

The health department also said it is closely monitoring reports of anthrax cases abroad.

In the Philippines, 82 suspected anthrax cases were recorded over seven years, from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2023.

There were also no reported anthrax health events in 2019 to 2021, nor any cases from January 1 to March 29, 2024.

Thailand earlier ordered a close watch on livestock on Thursday after an outbreak of anthrax in neighboring Laos, where more than 50 suspected human cases have been reported.

Anthrax, which spreads through bacteria in soil, commonly infects grazing livestock and wild animals but can infect humans and be deadly in some cases.

Humans can become infected by breathing in the spores, eating contaminated food or touching bacteria with broken skin, for instance when handling diseased animals.

Thailand sounds alarm after anthrax outbreak in Laos

-with a report from Agence France-Presse