Uganda dispatches teams to contain Anthrax outbreak

KAMPALA, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Uganda's Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries have dispatched teams of experts to contain the anthrax outbreak in the western, northwestern and eastern regions.

Minister of State for Health, Sarah Opendi Achieng told Xinhua on Friday that health and veterinary experts have been sent to the districts of Arua, Kween and Kirihura to contain the outbreak following new cases of the disease.

 "We have a national joint taskforce. The agriculture ministry is providing vaccines for the treatment of cattle while the health ministry has provided antibiotics for those infected.

'’The ministry of agriculture will import drugs for treating the animals and will continue with public sensitisation to avoid eating meat of dead animals," she said.

On Thursday, Tom Aza Alero, the MP for West Moyo told parliament the disease caused by the bacteria bacillus anthracis has left two people dead, 28 infected and over 1,000 affected.

"The anthrax outbreak is affecting the social and economic livelihood of the people of West Nile. The concerned ministries should move and act on the outbreak," said Aza.

In May, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng told Xinhua that the anthrax outbreak at Rhino Refugee Settlement in Arua, Kween and Kiruhura had been put under control with no suspected cases reported.

The World Organisation for Animal Health said in a report on May 18 that the disease had killed at least three people and 24 head of cattle in Arua, Kween and Kiruhura.

Anthrax primarily affects herbivorous mammals, although other mammals and some birds have been known to contract it.

Humans generally acquire the disease from infected animals or as a result of exposure to contaminated animal products, says the World Health Organisation (WHO).

-- BERNAMA