CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Five countries in East and southern Africa are in the middle of outbreaks of the anthrax disease, with more than 1,100 suspected cases and 20 deaths this year, the World Health Organization said Monday.
A total of 1,166 suspected cases had been reported in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In a separate assessment of the Zambia outbreak, which was the most concerning, WHO said that 684 suspected cases had been reported in the southern African nation as of Nov. 20, with four deaths. Human cases of anthrax had been reported in nine out of Zambia's 10 provinces.
WHO said there was a high risk that the Zambian outbreak would spread to neighboring countries.
The outbreaks in all five countries were “likely being driven by multiple factors, including
climatic shocks, food insecurity, low-risk perception and exposure to the disease through handling the meat of infected animals,” WHO said.
5 countries in East and southern Africa have anthrax outbreaks, WHO says, with 20 deaths reported (msn.com) b.