As Anthrax Outbreak Spreads, a Warning in Zambia

Zambian officials are telling residents to steer clear of wild game meat after an anthrax outbreak killed dozens of animals and sickened at least 12 people. Hippos, elephants, buffalo, and a crocodile have died in the Munyamadzi Game Management Area since July, per the BBC. The infected people are being treated, but "the good news is that nobody has died," a natural disaster risk management expert says, adding that officials believe the number of those infected will increase, per Global News.

Hunting in the affected region has been halted while investigators map the spread of the disease, which is endemic in Zambia but rarely causes human deaths, per the BBC. Outbreak News Today reports that although reports of illegal mining in the area are being investigated for potential environmental impacts, there's been no causal link established between mining and the outbreak. Officials are urging the public not to eat, handle, or sell meat from animals that have died abruptly or from unknown causes and to report any such cases, as surveillance and lab testing continue, per the BBC.