DHAKA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of people have so far fallen ill with suspected anthrax contracted from consuming meat of ill domestic animals while a boy died in Bangladesh's Pabna district, 216 km west of the capital Dhaka, a health official said Wednesday.
"Some 25 residents in Pabna are suspected to be affected with anthrax after they consumed beef from sick cows recently," Doctor Mostafizur Rahman told journalists Wednesday in Pabna.
He said at least three patients with anthrax symptom got admitted to a hospital in Pabna Tuesday, pushing the total number of infected people to 25 in the district since May 27.
He said a 12-year old boy, suspected to be affected with anthrax, died Friday.
The boy reportedly fell sick after a diseased cow was slaughtered in his area on May 27.
The boy had been seriously ill before being transferred to the country's northwestern Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital last week.
Officials say the boy's immediate family members were being monitored by medical workers.
People who slaughtered the cows and processed their meats were also reportedly infected with anthrax.
Officials said they had already collected samples of meat of the diseased animals for tests.
The health official said blood samples of the patients were sent to the country's Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in capital Dhaka for testing.
"We've to wait few days to get result of blood samples testing to confirm whether those people are really infected with anthrax or not."
He however said eight of the patients are now undergoing treatment at a hospital while others are taking medicine at homes.
All of them are responding to treatments and now recovering, he added.
The Bangladeshi government on Sept. 5, 2010 announced red-alert across the country, following the spread of cutaneous human anthrax to different districts. The government in October 2010 lifted the red-alert but instructed officials to remain on high alert.
Anthrax is a highly contagious disease, which is usually transmitted on people through contact with meat, blood or skin of an animal that has been infected.
