Date: 6 Sep 2010
Source: The Telegraph, Calcutta [edited]
<http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100907/jsp/nation/story_12905806.jsp>
India could be staring at a possible anthrax outbreak, with Bangladesh
sounding a red alert that the contagious disease has infected over 325
people in that country since mid-August 2010.
The disease, transmitted from infected cattle to humans through handling of
the animals or consumption of meat, has spread in 4 Bangladesh districts.
Some 38 people were 1st found infected in Sirajgunj, about 150 km from
Dhaka, on 19 Aug 2010, but the disease has now spread to Badna, Tangail and
Kushtia.
Sources said the scare for India came from the porous borders it shares
with Bangladesh. So, chances that the "cattle corridor" -- used to smuggle
cattle from Punjab and Haryana into Bangladesh -- might be used to push
infected animals back into India are not remote, they said. The risk was
all the more because of Id-ul-Fitr, expected to be on Friday or Saturday
[10-11 Sep 2010]. Cattle traders, who would have stocked up for the Id
slaughter, will be desperate to get rid of the diseased animals, most of
which are likely to end up in Manipur and Mizoram, the sources said.
[Bengal] BSF officials denied knowledge of the anthrax alert in Bangladesh,
saying they had yet to get instructions to block movement of infected cattle.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
******
[2]
Date: 6 Sep 2010
Source: The Financial Express [edited]
<http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=111478&date=2010-09-07>
The district administration of Narayanganj has taken precautionary measures
to check any outbreak of anthrax by asking the butchers not to slaughter
cattle without medical examination. Narayanganj civil surgeon office
sources said there is no anthrax patient in the district. The district,
upazila and paurasabha level inspectors have been instructed to supervise
different slaughter houses to detect the infected cattle and bury them
under 6 feet. Persons dealing with animals have been advised to keep
themselves away from the infected animals like goats, sheep, cattle and horses.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has adopted a special programme
to prevent anthrax infection from the beef in the metropolis. From today [6
Sep 2010], a team led by a veterinary surgeon will remain on standby at
each of the Haragram, Luxmipur, Upashahar, Shalbagan, Naodapara, Shaheb
Bazar and Binodpur Bazars from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm everyday. Before
slaughtering, all cattle will be examined by the team, while the meat and
hides of the slaughtered animals must be marked by selected seal.
The decision has been taken at an emergency meeting of the newly formed
Anthrax Prevention Committee at the city bhaban with the committee chief
and RCC Chief Executive Officer Ajaher Ali in the chair. RCC Chief Health
Officer Dr Abul Fazal, District Livestock Officer Khairul Alam, Chairman of
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Department of Rajshahi University
Dr Jalal Uddin Sarder, Assistant Professor Dr Akhtarul Islam, Senior
Veterinary Surgeon Dr Hedayetul Islam and RCC Veterinary Surgeon Dr Farhad
Uddin were, among others, present at the meeting. The meeting requested the
traders, butchers and consumers to extend necessary cooperation to the team
side by side with creating awareness among the consumers in general.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The Bangladesh authorities have
got their people lined up. The Bengali authorities have been told,
possibly. It is hard to know what they know at this point, but with the
festivities celebrating the end of Ramadan (Id-ul-Fitr is coming at the end
of this week), there will be an increased demand for market animals. If
nothing happens, the Bangladesh veterinary authorities and livestock
inspectors can congratulate themselves. Fingers crossed. - Mod.MHJ]
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