ROURKELA: At Least five villagers, suffering from anthrax, have been admitted to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and three others were discharged even as veterinarians are worried over death of cattle and goats due to the disease in Bisra block of Sundargarh district.
A week back, villagers of Birkera under Bisra block of the district had consumed beef after death of a cow. Subsequently, those who had handled the carcass and removed the skin started showing symptoms of anthrax. Sundargarh Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) B K Naik said five persons with ulcers in their bodies are undergoing treatment for anthrax at the RGH, while three others were discharged.
He said all the eight were involved in handling of the cow carcass. As a preventive measure, 163 villagers, who had consumed beef, were on Friday given contact doses. He said a medical team visited the affected village on Saturday and no fresh case was reported.
Surveillance would continue for a week, he said, adding that two persons of the village on Friday died of reasons other than anthrax. At the RGH, Enam Hans and Asish Tigga said they contracted the disease while burying severed body parts of cows.
Meanwhile, five cattle and seven goats had died at Birkera village, while four cattle were reported dead at Dhatkidihi village of Jareikela panchayat of the same block.
Sundargarh Chief District Veterinary Officer (CDVO) D K Patnaik visited the two villages on Saturday to take stock of the situation. He said blood samples of the dead animals have been collected to ascertain the exact cause of death. “It would be too early to say the animals were suffering from anthrax. Eight ill cows at Birkera are responding well to treatment,” he said.