Anthrax Outbreak Near Uzbek Capital
Anthrax Outbreak Near Uzbek Capital
Reports from Uzbekistan say around 20 people have contracted anthrax in Toytepe, a town 25 kilometres south of the capital Tashkent.
On August 3, one of those infected, Bozorboy Hasanov, 52, died on the way from a Tashkent general hospital to the infectious diseases hospital. Hospital staff confirmed their diagnosis was anthrax.
“The patient was brought to us on August 2,” said a doctor who asked to remain anonymous. “On examination, our doctors concluded that it was an anthrax case, and on August 3, the patient was sent to the Tashkent infectious diseases hospital to confirm the diagnosis.”
Anthrax is an serious infectious disease transmitted from cattle to humans through meat products or even soil containing infected spores. The symptoms include carbuncles, swollen lymphatic glands and fever.
According to residents of Toytepe, Hasanov had slaughtered a cow to sell the meat, although he was aware the animal had anthrax.
“A local vet had already diagnosed it,” said a local man.
The Uzbek health authorities require the corpse of animals infected with anthrax to be buried deep underground.
Another local resident said offal from the slaughtered cow was thrown in a nearby canal. “The local boys often swim in the canal and they probably got infected too,” he added.
A woman from the town estimates that “about 20 people contracted anthrax and some of them have died. All of them lived in the same street.”
The Uzbek health ministry department that deals with epidemics denies any outbreak of anthrax, saying no new cases have been recorded recently.
The department’s deputy head Bakitjon Matkarimov says the diagnosis of the deceased man was not substantiated.
“Hasanov died of blood poisoning rather than anthrax”, said Matkarimov.
Doctors say blood poisoning can be a symptom of anthrax.
Despite denying there is a problem, the authorities have tightened up health and epidemiological controls in Toytepe and placed meat shops under quarantine.
Matkarimov’s department says anthrax is very rare in Uzbekistan. Two cases were recorded in 2008, while the last serious outbreak was in 1991, when 60 people died.
(NBCentralAsia is an IWPR-funded project to create a multilingual news analysis and comment service for Central Asia, drawing on the expertise of a broad range of political observers across the region. The project ran from August 2006 to September 2007, covering all five regional states. With new funding, the service has resumed, covering Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.)
On August 3, one of those infected, Bozorboy Hasanov, 52, died on the way from a Tashkent general hospital to the infectious diseases hospital. Hospital staff confirmed their diagnosis was anthrax.
“The patient was brought to us on August 2,” said a doctor who asked to remain anonymous. “On examination, our doctors concluded that it was an anthrax case, and on August 3, the patient was sent to the Tashkent infectious diseases hospital to confirm the diagnosis.”
Anthrax is an serious infectious disease transmitted from cattle to humans through meat products or even soil containing infected spores. The symptoms include carbuncles, swollen lymphatic glands and fever.
According to residents of Toytepe, Hasanov had slaughtered a cow to sell the meat, although he was aware the animal had anthrax.
“A local vet had already diagnosed it,” said a local man.
The Uzbek health authorities require the corpse of animals infected with anthrax to be buried deep underground.
Another local resident said offal from the slaughtered cow was thrown in a nearby canal. “The local boys often swim in the canal and they probably got infected too,” he added.
A woman from the town estimates that “about 20 people contracted anthrax and some of them have died. All of them lived in the same street.”
The Uzbek health ministry department that deals with epidemics denies any outbreak of anthrax, saying no new cases have been recorded recently.
The department’s deputy head Bakitjon Matkarimov says the diagnosis of the deceased man was not substantiated.
“Hasanov died of blood poisoning rather than anthrax”, said Matkarimov.
Doctors say blood poisoning can be a symptom of anthrax.
Despite denying there is a problem, the authorities have tightened up health and epidemiological controls in Toytepe and placed meat shops under quarantine.
Matkarimov’s department says anthrax is very rare in Uzbekistan. Two cases were recorded in 2008, while the last serious outbreak was in 1991, when 60 people died.
(NBCentralAsia is an IWPR-funded project to create a multilingual news analysis and comment service for Central Asia, drawing on the expertise of a broad range of political observers across the region. The project ran from August 2006 to September 2007, covering all five regional states. With new funding, the service has resumed, covering Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.)
