DHAKA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- With 32 new cases detected in the last 24 hours, total 479 people have been confirmed to be infected by anthrax until Thursday.
Bangladesh's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) under the country's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on its website released the latest figure Thursday.
According to IEDCR, 8 districts out of 64 districts in the country have been found anthrax infected cases since the disease first broke out in Sirajganj district, 134 km northwest of capital Dhaka on Aug. 18.
Following the quick spread of anthrax to more new districts, the Bangladeshi government on Sunday announced red-alert across the country and formed committees in all the 64 districts to coordinate all efforts of anthrax prevention and treatment.
Anthrax is a highly contagious disease, usually transmitted on people through contact with meat, blood or skin of a herbivorous animal that has been infected.
