Pabna, Bangladesh: 35 ill from eating anthrax-infected beef

[alert]

The bold statement is a little confusing. Anthrax is infectious, but not generally contagious person-to-person.

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=141488&cid=2

35 infected with anthrax from beef in Pabna
Sun, Aug 30th, 2009 11:24 pm BdST Dial 2324 from your mobile for latest news



Pabna, Aug 30 (bdnews24.com)?At least 35 people in Pabna have been infected with anthrax after consuming beef infected with the bacterium, the district health department said on Sunday.

Pabna district health department said an anthrax infected cow in Sathia upazila was slaughtered and sold on Aug 26 in Soto Pathailhat village, leaving at least 35 locals infected with the bacterium after they consumed the contaminated meat.

Doctors confirmed the cases of anthrax infection when a number of the victims went to Sathia upazila health complex seeking medical assistance.

Anthrax commonly infects both wild and domesticated mammals which ingest or inhale the bacterium while grazing. Diseased animals can then spread anthrax to humans, either by direct contact or through consumption of the meat.

A four-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident, headed by Dr Ranjit Kumar, a specialist in epidemiology at the health directorate.

Primary testing at the Sirajganj animal resource office's laboratory has already confirmed the presence of anthrax in the beef, although the committee had taken further samples for testing.

Pabna civil surgeon Dr AHM Md Khairul Alam Choudhury said there was no reason to panic.

"Hopefully those infected will recover in a few days, although problems may arise as the disease is contagious," said Choudhury.

He said the victims should stay in hospital until they are free of the contagion.

bdnews24.com/corr/srn/am/2325h

[alert]

Re: Pabna, Bangladesh: 35 ill from eating anthrax-infected beef

http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20090831-164698.html

28 Bangladeshis infected with anthrax


Mon, Aug 31, 2009
AFP



DHAKA - Health officials in Bangladesh said Monday they had isolated 28 people infected with anthrax after eating meat from a contaminated cow.

The infected people, from Pabna district 90 kilometres (56 miles) west of the capital Dhaka, had skin lesions but their conditions were stable, local health ministry chief Mansurul Islam said.

"We have put them in isolation as a precaution so the disease does not spread," he said.


"Those infected caught it from a cow that was slaughtered in the town of Sathia in Pabna district on August 18. We have tested the bone marrow of the cow locally and confirmed it to be anthrax."

Anthrax is a highly contagious and often lethal infection that usually only afflicts livestock, but can be transmitted to humans who handle or eat infected animals.