One person has been reported dead from a suspected case of anthrax in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region.
This follows the consumption of the carcass of an anthrax-infected cow.
According to a press release issued by the Upper East Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service on Friday, June 2, four cattle have died of anthrax in a suburb of Binduri district.
The release, further stated that the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Dzotse, and his team have began tracing 11 other people suspected of eating the carcass of the infected mammal.
“On June 1, 2023, the Regional Health Directorate received notification of two (2) suspected cases of anthrax with one death in Binduri District following the consumption of a dead cattle.
“In all, four cattle have died in the affected community. So far eleven (11) suspected cases have been identified, and contact tracing efforts are underway in the affected community,” the release stated.
Dr Dzote further assured that samples from all suspected persons will be taken for testing and will be treated with Ciprofloxacin and Doxycycline.
As a precaution, all districts sharing boundaries with Binduri were urged to be vigilant and intensify surveillance activities.
The Regional Director of Health Services also stressed that his team would intensify risk communication about the disease and its prevention.
He urged community members to refrain from eating cattle carcasses without establishing the cause of death.
Additionally, Dr Dzotse encouraged cattle owners in all districts to seek veterinary assistance for holistic disease control.
