Anthrax scare has gripped Angul district in Odisha with more than 35 people falling ill with suspected symptoms of the disease at Suleipal village under Kaniha block.
Fifteen persons have been rushed to the SCB Medical College Hospital while the rest are being treated at the local hospital at Kaniha. All the affected persons are from the same village and are displaying symptoms of cutaneous anthrax infections, like severe lesions or wounds on the skin.
“They have been admitted to the isolation ward of the hospital and are under the treatment of a special team of doctors. Though anthrax is yet to be confirmed, the symptoms are typical”, emergency medical officer of the SCBMCH, Dr B M Moharana, said.
According to sources, the people are suspected to have contracted the infection from dead animals. The villagers are reported to have consumed meat of about three dead goats. While the cause of the death of the animals could not be ascertained, the people who had partaken the meat have begun to fall ill.
The suspected outbreak has become a cause of serious concern because Angul district is known to be non-endemic to the disease.