28 people get anthrax in Pabna

At least 28 people were diagnosed with anthrax in Pabna after consuming beef infected with the Bacillus anthracis, according to IEDCR.
‘Twenty patients were clinically diagnosed with anthrax in Pabna,’ Mahmudur Rahman, director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told New Age Monday.
‘There was no casualty and the patients are improving,’ he claimed.
An anthrax infected cow was slaughtered in Choto Pathailhat village under Santhia upazila and sold on August 26, leaving at least 28 locals infected with the bacterium after they consumed the contaminated meat, according to our correspondent in Pabna.
Physicians confirmed the cases of anthrax infection when a number of the victims went to Santhia upazila health complex seeking treatment.
A team of experts rushed to Pubna from the capital after knowing about the anthrax infection in human body, according to Dr Bidhan Chandra Das, assistant director at the Department of Livestock Services in Dhaka.
They inspected both the persons and the cattle with anthrax in the village and took necessary arrangements for treatment, he said.
Of the patients, Abdus Sattar, 60, Mabia, 40, Banya, 5, Idris, 18, Afiz Uddin, 60, Manjil, 29, Sarifa, 55, Morjina, 20, Asha, 12, Bulbuli, 17, Hassan, 35, Masud, 13, Mongolia, 18, Mizan, 33, Saleka, 55, Azam, 28 and Afzal, 35, were in critical condition, according to physicians.
Anthrax commonly infects both wild and domesticated mammals which ingest or inhale the bacterium while grazing, according to experts.
Sick animals can then spread anthrax to humans, either by direct contact or through consumption of the meat, they said.
A four-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident, headed by Dr Ranjit Kumar, a specialist in epidemiology at the health directorate.
District livestock officer M Abdul Hamid told New Age that at least three cows infected with anthrax died in the area.
Dr Dipak Kumar, deputy civil surgeon of Pabna, said there was no reason to panic. ‘We hope that the persons infected with the disease will recover in a few days.’
He said the victims should stay in hospital until they get fully cured.
‘We, however, need to remain alert as the disease is contagious,’ he said.
Dr Bidhan Chandra Das said the livestock department was monitoring the situation round the clock.
He advised the people to contact livestock officials if any cattle head dies. ‘Infected cattle should not be buried before examination,’ he said.
He added that there are sufficient stocks of vaccines for treatment of the cattle.

Courtesy of NewAgebd