An anthrax outbreak has claimed two lives in Rangpur's Pirgachha upazila while afflicting approximately fifty residents with similar symptoms. Abdur Razzak, a forty-five-year-old van driver, and sixty-year-old Kamala Begum both perished after exposure to contaminated cattle. Laboratory tests conducted by livestock authorities confirmed the presence of anthrax bacteria in beef samples from deceased animals. Health officials have treated a dozen patients while epidemiologists from IEDCR arrived to investigate the spread across four unions. Local residents express frustration over the delayed government response despite symptoms appearing for two months.
The outbreak originated from residents consuming meat or handling infected cattle that died from the disease. Razzak contracted the illness through a finger wound sustained while butchering a sick cow before dying at a private hospital. Kamala became ill after eating contaminated beef and later succumbed at a medical facility. Authorities have vaccinated over thirty-four thousand cattle and launched awareness campaigns to prevent further consumption of diseased livestock. Community members report that hundreds of cattle have died during this period.
The outbreak originated from residents consuming meat or handling infected cattle that died from the disease. Razzak contracted the illness through a finger wound sustained while butchering a sick cow before dying at a private hospital. Kamala became ill after eating contaminated beef and later succumbed at a medical facility. Authorities have vaccinated over thirty-four thousand cattle and launched awareness campaigns to prevent further consumption of diseased livestock. Community members report that hundreds of cattle have died during this period.
