CAPE TOWN: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that five countries in East and southern Africa are in the middle of anthrax disease outbreaks, Western media reported on Monday.
It said that more than 1,100 cases and 20 deaths have been recorder this year.
The world health body said that a total of 1,166 cases had been reported in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It added that every year five African nations have seasonal outbreaks, but Zambia is facing the disease outbreak since 2011 while Malawi reported its first case this year and Uganda reported 13 deaths.
According to the WHO, anthrax normally affects livestock like cattle, goats and sheep, as well as wild herbivores. Humans exposed to the animals affected with the disease can also catch the bacteria.
Anthrax is not considered to be contagious in humans. Anthrax is caused by bacteria and its weaponized version was also used in the 2001 attacks in the United States. Anthrax bacteria also develops naturally in soil.
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WHO said that 684 suspected cases have been reported in Zambia this year with four deaths. WHO feared that the Zambian outbreak could spread to neighboring states.
The outbreaks in all five African nations are driven by different factors including food insecurity, climatic change, low-risk perception and exposure to the disease through handling of meat of infected animals.
