Experts have emphasised rapid expansion of the livestock vaccination coverage across the country to contain Anthrax, one of the emerging infectious diseases in Bangladesh.
"Massive livestock vaccination can reduce the burden of the disease both in animals and human," said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, Director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and National Influenza Centre (NIC), Bangladesh.
Describing livestock vaccination as a huge task, the IEDCR director said it is difficult to keep the track of vaccinated cattle as their number grows fast in the country. "But it's urgently needed to vaccinate the animals to control the disease."
Dr M Abul Kalam, head of the Epidemiology Unit of Department of Livestock Services, said the livestock population in Bangladesh is about 5 crore and the animals need to be vaccinated fast to keep anthrax under control, as unvaccinated animals easily get infected with it.
He said environmental and ecological conditions as well as the disposal practices of dead animals are also the risk factors for anthrax outbreak in Bangladesh.
Both the experts were talking to reporters in a media orientation session on 'Emerging Infectious Diseases' held at The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on Thursday.
Additional Director General (DGHS) Prof Saiful Islam, Prof Nitish Devnath of FAO, Anupuri of Unicef and Dr Kamruzzaman Biswas of WHO spoke at the orientation with IEDCR Director Prof Mahmudur Rahman in the chair.
About anthrax outbreak in Bangladesh, Prof Mahmudur said humans get infected with anthrax in three ways -- cutaneous route, inhalation and ingestion. "Cutaneous anthrax accounts for more than 95 percent of the human cases."
Referring to human anthrax cases in Bangladesh from 2009 to 2011, he said 99 cases were detected in three districts during Aug 2009 -June 2010, while 607 cases in 12 districts during Aug-Oct 2010 and 107 cases in five districts during April-Aug 2011.
Presenting a paper, 'Anthrax: A reemerging Zoonosis', at the programme, Dr Abul Kalam Azad said anthrax is 'epidemic' in Bangladesh with sporadic occurrence throughout the country. "Villagers always report cattle and goats dying of Tarka, a local term of anthrax."
About actions taken by the government, he said the government in 2010 had declared red alert, launched a vaccination programme and taken quarantine measures to control the spread of anthrax.
Source : The Daily Star
No comments:
Post a Comment