Thailand has reported its first death linked to anthrax for several decades, with two confirmed infections nationwide. This situation led to a health alert after the authorities identified hundreds of people potentially exposed to this fatal bacteria, officials announced on Thursday.
A 53-year-old man, a resident of Mukdahan province in the northeast of the country near the border with Laos, died on Wednesday after contracting the anthrax, the government said. A second case was confirmed in the same province, while three other suspicious cases remain in investigation.
Authorities have identified at least 638 people likely to have been exposed after consuming raw meat. Among them, 36 participated in the slaughter of cattle, while the others ate raw or insufficiently cooked beef, the health officials said. All are currently receiving antibiotics in the context of control measures.
“All people likely to have been in contact with infected meat are placed under surveillance,” said the Ministry of Health.
The breeding department oversees containment efforts in the affected area, including the establishment of a forty -5 km (3.2 miles) area around the infection home, added the Ministry of Agriculture.
-Vaccination campaigns of 1,222 cattle are planned, although no animal presented signs of illness or unexplained death, the authorities said.
Anthrax is a rare but serious disease, caused by a bacteria which is generally transmitted by contact with infected animals or the consumption of contaminated meat. It is not transmitted from one person to another.
The last time Thailand had reported human cases from Anthrax dates back to 2017, with two infected people but no deaths. In 2000, 15 cases had been identified, again without inevitable.
The death recorded on Wednesday is the first linked to anthrax in Thailand since 1994, the year that three people had died, and occurs in a context of resurgence of regional infections. Laos reported 129 cases of anthrax last year, including a mortal, while Vietnam confirmed 13 cases in May 2023.
Thai authorities are continuing their investigations to identify the source of infection and have announced the maintenance of increased surveillance in border areas.
