KORAPUT: A surveillance officer of National Communicable Disease Centre (NCDC), New Delhi, visited anthrax affected blocks of Koraput district and held discussions with district-level medical officials on Friday.
The officer NK Nayak accompanied by local medical teams visited Dasmantpur, Laxmipur, Semiliguda, Lamataput and Nandapur and interacted with the affected persons. According to sources, six persons died and 15 were affected by anthrax after allegedly consuming beef. Soon after, State and Central Government machineries swung into action to ascertain reasons behind the spread of the disease.
District Medical department official sources said Nayak would submit the report to Health Ministry for necessary action. The visit of the officer is being seen as big step forward towards the Union Health Ministry's proposal to open an anthrax disease surveillance and testing centre at Koraput in wake of frequent reports of disease in tribal areas.
"We are gearing up our machinery to prevent the fatal anthrax from claiming more lives in tribal areas," informed Koraput, ADMO (PH) Arun Padhi.