1 dead, 85 infected in anthrax outbreak in Indonesia's Yogyakarta
04 Jul 2023 10:28pm
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Anthrax is a lethal infectious disease that commonly affects cattle or goats. Human beings can be infected only when they come into contact with anthrax-affected animals or consume their meat.
According to Xinhua, head of the Gunungkidul Regency Health Agency, Dewi Irawati, said in a press conference that they found the spread of anthrax in the regency after receiving a report from government-owned Sardjito Central General Hospital that a 73-year-old resident had died from the virus on June 4.
The agency, then, conducted further examination of the patient and found that he had consumed meat from his own cow after it died from an illness.
"Then, we found that the patient also distributed the meat to dozens of other residents in his neighbourhood. We did blood tests on 125 residents and found 85 of them infected," Irawati said.
"Most of them have shown symptoms like diarrhoea, sores on the skin, and small reddish lumps or swelling appearing on their hands. Now they have been given antibiotics," said the official.
Irawati also said that the regional authorities had moved fast to name the area nearby as a red zone for 120 days since the finding and advised residents to only consume meat from healthy livestock. - BERNAMA-XINHUA
