Anthrax alert in Thailand: Travellers must follow these govt guidelines

Thailand reports rare anthrax case after decades, travellers asked to avoid raw meat and stay alert in affected areas

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If your next holiday destination is Thailand, you need to be extra careful as the Thai government has issued an advisory for all incoming travellers and their citizens after the country reported its first anthrax fatality in over three decades.

 

According to a notice issued by the Thai health department on May 1, local health officials confirmed the death of a 53-year-old man in Mukdahan province. The man had come in contact with the carcass of a cow at a village gathering. Within 24 hours of that report, a second man with similar exposure was hospitalised and placed on a course of antibiotics under close medical supervision.

 

What should travellers do?

 

With the country being a tourist destination, the government’s health department has issued a list of guidelines for travellers to stay safe during their visit to the country. They are advised to:

 

·  Buy meat only from licensed, reputable vendors.

 

·  Avoid touching or handling animals that appear sick or have died suddenly.

 

·  Never eat raw or undercooked meat, especially beef and buffalo.

 

·  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after any contact with animals or meat.

   

·  Seek immediate medical advice at the first sign of fever, nausea, unusual skin sores or respiratory distress.

 

Government response and precautions

 

The advisory issued by the Thai government’s health department outlines several swift containment measures.

 

·  High??'risk contacts monitored: Over 600 individuals—ranging from butchers and meat vendors to family members who may have handled infected meat—have been identified and are receiving preventive treatment.

 

·  Vaccination of livestock: Veterinary teams have administered anthrax vaccine to more than 1,200 cattle and buffalo in outbreak zones.

 

·  Area disinfection and testing: Affected farms, slaughterhouses and festival sites have been disinfected, and environmental samples sent to labs for confirmation.

 

·  Movement controls: Local authorities are temporarily restricting the sale and transport of beef and buffalo meat from areas with suspected cases.

   

What is Anthrax? How does it spread? 

 

Anthrax is a disease caused by spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which can survive in soil for decades. Animals, especially grazing livestock, can contract it by grazing on contaminated pasture. Humans become exposed through:

 

·  Direct contact with infected animal hides or meat

 

·  Ingestion of undercooked or raw meat from sick animals

 

·  Inhalation of airborne spores during processing of animal products

 

Symptoms vary by route of infection and may include fever, abdominal pain, skin lesions or breathing difficulties.