Thailand reports anthrax death as public health alert issued for outbreak

Thailand has issued a public health alert following its first anthrax-related death and a second confirmed infection.

Both cases happened in the northeastern province of Mukdahan.

Authorities are investigating potential exposure to the bacteria among hundreds of individuals.

A 53-year-old man succumbed to the infection on Wednesday, triggering the alert and investigation into three additional suspected cases in the same region bordering Laos.

Authorities have identified at least 638 people as being potentially exposed after eating raw meat. Among them, 36 had participated in butchering livestock while the rest had consumed raw or undercooked beef, health officials said. All are receiving antibiotics as part of containment measures.

"All individuals who may have been in contact with infected meat are being monitored," the health ministry said.

The Livestock Department is overseeing containment efforts in the affected area, including a 5-km (3.2-mile) quarantine zone around the infection site, the agriculture ministry said.

There are plans to vaccinate 1,222 cattle, though no animals have shown signs of illness or unexplained death, it added.

Anthrax is a rare but serious disease caused by bacteria often transmitted through contact with infected animals or consumption of contaminated meat. It is not spread person-to-person.

On Thursday an outbreak was also reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo with one death, the World Health Organization said. A total of 16 suspected and one confirmed human cases have been reported in North Kivu Province, in the east of the country, the WHO added.

Thailand last reported human anthrax cases in 2017, when two people were infected without fatalities. In 2000, 15 cases were recorded, also without deaths.

What you need to know about anthrax

The main clinical signs of anthrax in pigs and horses are:

Anthrax symptoms begin with a flu-like illness. This is then followed by respiratory difficulties.

Direct contact with anthrax can cause raised boil-like lesions on the skin which develop a black centre. This skin infection normally responds to early treatment with antibiotics.

If you inhale anthrax spores, they can cause damage to the lungs, which is often fatal.

Wednesday's death, the first fatality from anthrax in Thailand, follows a rise in regional infections. Laos reported 129 anthrax infections last year, including one death, while Vietnam confirmed 13 cases in May 2023.

Thai authorities are continuing investigations into the source of the infection and said they would maintain heightened surveillance in border areas.

The last anthrax outbreak in livestock in Great Britain was in 2015.