Q: Recently it was reported that Anthrax is spreading among cattle in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. Today, I read in a Malayalam daily that the District Medical Officer has instructed people to boil milk and milk powder before use. My question is whether milk powder will be disinfected during the process of manufacture. I am asking this question because I am feeding Lactogen and Cerelac to my 6 month old baby. Shall I boil Lactogen and Cerelac before feeding?

A:Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by the spores of Bacillus anthracis. It usually affects the skin (from exposure to the spores after handling sick animals or contaminated wool, hair, or animal hides) or lungs (from inhaling anthrax spores). Intestinal or oropharyngeal anthrax is caused by ingestion of anthrax contaminated undercooked meat. There is no evidence of transmission through the milk of an infected animal. The disease is curable in the early stages by the use of high doses of antibiotics like penicillin, doxycycline, and ciprofloxacin.