Zambians warned not to eat dead wildlife after anthrax kills dozens of animals
At least 12 people are being treated for anthrax after eating infected meat from wildlife carcasses.
Zambians warned not to eat dead wildlife after anthrax kills dozens of animals
Anthrax mainly affects grazing animals and can lead to sudden death (file photo)
Authorities in Zambia have cautioned people against eating meat from wildlife after an anthrax outbreak left dozens of wild animals dead, including hippos, elephants, buffalo and a crocodile.
A disaster management agency official said over the weekend that 12 people had been infected with the disease after eating dead wildlife in the Munyamadzi River area.
The official called on the public not to eat meat from animals that die naturally or from unknown causes, and also urged people to report any such incidents.
Authorities have also said hunting in the affected area should be halted until the scale of the disease and the related risks are determined.
Officials have not yet established the full geographical reach of the latest outbreak, and surveillance and laboratory investigations are still under way.
Anthrax is endemic in Zambia, but human deaths are uncommon. In 2023, the country suffered what was described as an "unprecedented outbreak", which killed four people and spread to nine out of 10 provinces.
Another major outbreak was reported in 2011, with more than 500 cases, when five people died after eating meat from infected hippos.
In the latest outbreak in the Munyamadzi Game Management Area, in Muchinga province, Zambia's Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit said 46 hippos, eight elephants, five buffaloes and one crocodile had died since July.
"The sad story about the deaths of this wildlife is that the carcasses ended up being eaten by the local people - that's what they depend on for their food," said the unit's national coordinator Norman Chipakupaku.
No human deaths have been reported, and the 12 infected people are currently being treated.
Anthrax is caused by a bacteria called Bacillus anthracis, which mainly survives as spores that can remain in soil for years before entering an animal through inhalation or a cut or wound.
It mainly affects grazing animals and can lead to sudden death. It can spread from animals to humans through contact with contaminated animal products.
Zambians have been urged not to consume, sell, distribute or handle meat from animals that have died suddenly or from suspected anthrax. The public has also been advised not to handle wild animals.