Russian troops have destroyed the carcasses of 1,300 reindeer that died during a recent anthrax outbreak in north Siberia to prevent the spread of the bacterial infection. A 12-year-old boy and more than 2,300 reindeer died this month of anthrax in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous region. The outbreak is thought to have begun after an infected 75-year-old reindeer carcass thawed in unusually high temperatures. The Russian news service LifeNews reported that the boy’s grandmother had also died of anthrax, although this has not been confirmed by officials. Anthrax spores can survive for hundreds of years in frozen human and animal remains.

Source: The Times August 09, 2016 11:03 UTC