Suspected anthrax outbreak in Bangladesh, one dead

At least one person died and dozens others have so far fallen ill due to suspected anthrax contracted from consuming meat of ill domestic animals in Bangladesh, media reported on Wednesday.

"At least 25 residents in Pabna district are suspected to be affected with anthrax after they consumed beef from sick cows recently," Xinhua news agency quoted a doctor as saying.

He said that three patients with anthrax symptom got admitted to a hospital in Pabna on Tuesday, pushing the total number of infected people to 25 in the district since May 27.

A 12-year-old boy, suspected to be affected with anthrax, died on Friday, the report said.

The boy fell sick after consuming meat of a diseased cow.

People who slaughtered the cows and processed their meat were also reportedly infected with anthrax.

"Officials said they had already collected samples of meat of the diseased animals for tests," it said.

The health official said blood samples of the patients were sent to the country's Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in capital Dhaka for testing.

"We've to wait a few days to get result of blood samples testing to confirm whether those people are really infected with anthrax or not."

The Bangladeshi government in 2010 announced red-alert across the country, following the spread of cutaneous human anthrax to different districts.

Anthrax is a highly contagious disease, which is usually transmitted through contact with meat, blood or skin of an animal that has been infected.

--IANS

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