Officials to visit Kolar to probe anthrax deaths

bangalore: the karnataka government on friday asked senior officials to submit a report after visiting kolar district, where two persons reportedly died of anthrax six weeks ago in an outbreak that also killed some 20 sheep, an ox and two cows. related stories the direction was given by animal husbandry minister a. krishnappa, an official release said.u.v.s. rana of the national institute of communicable diseases (nicd) had said in delhi on thursday that the two victims, residents of alagurkhi village, got infected by consuming the meat of animals that died of anthrax. they also sold their hides, contributing to the spread of anthrax. outbreak of anthrax occurs every year in india and some people catch it from infected animals or eating their meat, rana had said. recently, nicd recorded eight cases with five deaths in a hamlet, 80 km from mysore in july 1999. in bandhughutu, a tribal village in midnapore district, anthrax killed some 2,000 cattle, goats and pigs in may 2000.