Anthrax cases break out in Laos and can be deadly

 Direct translation

News on disease control

Anthrax cases break out in Laos, Thailand orders surveillance of livestock

Editor : Lu Yongxin / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/03/30/a103866325.html / Image : On 21 August 2022, Siphanton, Laos, along the AH 11 highway from Vientiane, Laos to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, a man was seen with a group of dairy cows. Schematic diagram. (Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images)

 An anthrax epidemic broke out in Laos (Lao PDR) recently. There are currently more than 60 cases of infection, and most of them are concentrated in provinces bordering Thailand and Cambodia. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on 28 March 2024 orders relevant authorities to closely monitor the status of livestock and the development of the epidemic, and strengthen preventive control at borders.

Anthrax is spread through bacteria in the soil and usually infects grazing livestock or wild animals but it can also infect humans and can be fatal, Central News Agency quoted Agence France-Presse as saying.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered officials to closely monitor the epidemic and "protect public safety."

Humans can become infected with anthrax by inhaling anthrax spores, eating infected food, or being exposed to anthrax through broken skin, such as when handling infected animals.

According to Lao media reports, there have been a total of 65 suspected cases locally, 54 of which occurred in Champasak Province in the south, which borders Thailand.

"The Prime Minister has ordered the Minister of Public Health to closely monitor (the epidemic), especially in areas near the border," Chai Watcharong, spokesman for the Thai Prime Minister's Office, said in a statement.

The statement also encouraged the public to notify authorities if they notice anything unusual about an animal.