Suspected Anthrax kills Kandhamal villager

BERHAMPUR: A 40-year-old man from Kandhamal district succumbed to suspected anthrax at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here on Saturday night.
The chief district medical officer, NC Behera, identified the deceased as Ruruka Majhi of Bada Guchhuka village in Tumudibandh block. Ruruka and six others were admitted to the hospital for treatment for suspected anthrax last week.Later, a four-year-old girl and six others were also taken to the hospital with similar symptoms, the CDMO said. "While two of them were completely cured, the condition of the other patients is improving," he added.
Behera said all the affected persons were residents of Bada Guchhuka and San Guchhuka villages. "So far, the disease has not spread to other areas. We have taken all precautionary measures against the disease," he added.
The health official, however, refused to confirm the disease as anthrax. "We are yet to receive the medical reports from the hospital. Unless we get the report, we can't conform the disease as anthrax" Behera said.
"Since all the victims had consumed rotting beef, we suspect that it likely to be anthrax," said another official.
Meanwhile, a report from the Phulanakhara-based Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI), which had conducted blood sample tests of some of the domestic animals after outbreak of the disease, has come out negative for anthrax. "The report has come out negative for anthrax. However, it found that some goats had died of PPR, a disease due to viral infection," said animal resources development department secretary Satyabrata Sahu. At least 10 goats, sheep and two buffaloes had reportedly died before the outbreak of the disease in the area, chief district veterinary officer SC Mallick said.
The veterinary official said blood samples of some of animals would be sent to the Regional Disease Diagnosis Laboratory in Kolkata to confirm viral infection in the animals. He, however, added that a drive to vaccinate animals against anthrax was going on in the affected area.