10 more infected with anthrax in Tangail
Livestock officials check buffalos on a Dhaka-bound truck at the entrance of Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge in Sirajganj district as the government has announced a red alert following detection of anthrax in several districts. Photo: STAR
At least 10 more people were found infected with anthrax in the district on Monday. District Livestock Department sources said the infections were detected at Bildoga village of Gopalpur upazila. All the ten men and women were engaged in cutting and washing the meat of an anthrax-infected cow slaughtered in the village on September 1 they said. Mir Hossain of the village said he had bought the cow from Govindasi Bazar in Bhuapur upazila. A cattle trader of Kamarkhanda upazila of Sirajganj brought the cow which fell sick on the same day. "So I had no alternative but to slaughter the cow", he said. District livestock officer Dr Abdur Rashid told this correspondent that while visiting the village Monday he found ten people infected with anthrax. There was no other report of infection in the village, he added. "The infected people are now being treated by the doctors of the upazila health complex," he said. District livestock officials and high officials of the district administration including Additional Deputy Commissioner Fahimul Islam are monitoring the situation including vaccinations in the area, he pointed out. Earlier, at least 14 people of different ages at Kurmusi village in Ghatail upazila in the district were found infected with anthrax on August 31. Before being attacked by the disease, all the 14 had processed meat of a sick cow slaughtered by one Abdul Latif. In April, 11 people of Gala village, nine of Telipara Golgonda village and five of Kochbari Korna village in the same upazila were attacked with anthrax. They also had processed meat of a sick cow slaughtered at the village. Meanwhile the livestock officials continued checking the cattle coming from the northern districts including Sirajganj and Pabna, at the west end of the Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge since August 31. Locals, however, claimed that only a peon of Sirajganj livestock department was found checking cattle on the check post on Monday although three upazila livestock officials were supposed to do the job in shifts. Denying the allegations, Dr Habibul Islam, upazila livestock officer in Sakhipur, said he had been performing his duties despite illness. "I had gone to a nearby mosque to say my prayers at that time on Monday," he added.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments