Anthrax infects 10 people in Oromiya region

Ten people have been infected with anthrax following a fresh outbreak of the disease in eastern Ethiopia, officials told IRIN on Friday. The sick are receiving treatment from the local health authority after coming into contact with the bacteria. It is believed that this is the largest number of people to be infected by anthrax in recent years. It is also extremely rare for humans to become infected, the officials said. The disease, which has also killed 15 cattle, first broke out in the Fentale district of Oromiya Region, some 200 km from the capital Addis Ababa, about two months ago. The area has also been hit by a serious drought. Local agriculture officials thought they had brought the disease under control through a major vaccination programme called ring treatment. But, they told IRIN, there had now been a second outbreak and a renewed vaccination campaign was due to start on Friday. “We have registered 15 cattle dead and 10 people are infected by anthrax but there are no deaths among the human beings,” said Biruk Wolkeba, the district head at the ministry of agriculture. He added that people were undergoing a "mass treatment" in the Benti area where the outbreak occurred. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Addis Ababa said it was extremely rare for people to become infected from cattle. “It is is a deadly disease that is transmittable to human beings but it is very rare for human beings to contract this infection," the institute's Dr Yilma Jobre told IRIN. “It is a very sporadic disease and does not affect the entire herd. It usually just affects one or two animals." He said every farmer could recognise anthrax, but affected animals were usually slaughtered rather than buried. “This often leads to contamination,” Dr Yilma said. “They should burn the carcass or bury it.” He added that anthrax spores – which are naturally found in the soil – are disturbed by rains then released into the atmosphere. [See also IRIN report of 8 July - ETHIOPIA: Anthrax aggravates looming food crisis in east]