JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Namibia's veterinary authorities will launch a vaccinating campaign from next week against an anthrax outbreak that was confirmed to have spread from neighboring Botswana, according to sources reaching here from Windhoek.

    Two elephants, five buffaloes and an ox have been found dead in east Namibia's Caprivi region, which is adjacent to Botswana's Chobe National Park where the anthrax has reportedly killed about 200 buffaloes and elephants and a hippo.

    "We conducted a detailed examination, and we discovered anthrax evidence. Now that we have confirmed this," State Veterinarian Frank Chitate was quoted as saying by the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) on Thursday.

    The Caprivi Veterinary Services will deploy its team throughout the region to start vaccinating cattle next month.

    As the Regional Emergency Management Unit has secured only 70,000 doses of vaccines, more than 100,000 doses are required at present to ensure that about 160,000 head of cattle in the region are vaccinated, Chitate said.

    The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has also started with a patrolling program of collecting and burying carcasses of wild animals before scavengers and other animals could swoop and spread the disease, said the NAMPA.

    Chitate said it is important to bury all animals that died from anthrax, as predators may feed off the flesh of the dead animals.

    The southern African country last reported an anthrax outbreak in 1996. The outbreak of this time was attributed to buffaloes that had strayed into the Chobe park.

    The outbreak since Sept. 8 has forced Botswana authorities to close about half of the park that is a major tourist attraction and home to the Chobe river on the border between Namibia and Botswana.

    The acute infectious bacterial disease mainly affects wild and domestic animals, but can also pose a risk to humans exposed to the infected animals or their tissue.

    Major symptoms of anthrax include skin infections, which can develop into swollen lymph glands, breathing problems, fever as well as vomiting, said Chitate. Enditem