5 more anthrax infected, IEDCR team visits spot

Five more anthrax infected patients have been identified in Koira Soratol village under Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj district, bringing the number of  such patients in the village to 45 in the last two days.

Forty people had been identified as having anthrax infection on Monday. The number may increase as many people have reportedly come in contact with infected animals or contaminated meat, health officials say.

“We have identified 45 patients in the village in the last two days. All the patients are being given treatment. A special medical team is working in the area from a medical camp in a primary school,” said Dr Sukumar Roy, Ullapara upazila health and family planning officer.

A team of high officials from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) arrived at the affected village to examine the patients yesterday afternoon, Dr Roy said, adding that the team will stay in the village for two days.

The 12-member team of IEDCR experts, headed by Dr Ismail Faruk, has formed five groups for examining the patients, said Md Mohabbat Ali, a health assistant working in the village.

The IEDCR team members have collected samples of blood from the affected patients and the animals in the village for medical examination. The samples will be taken to Mohakhali IEDCR laboratory, he added.

A team of high officials of the livestock department has also gone to the village, according to the district livestock office. Separate meetings were held by the upazila administration, health department and livestock department for finding out ways to tackle the recent outbreak of anthrax, sources said.