Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya
Anthrax has broken out in Chama district of Muchinga province.
Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya has told Parliament in a ministerial statement today that so far 44 cases have been recorded as at 22nd September,2016.
Dr Chilufya however, states that no associated deaths have been recorded so far.
He says investigations conducted by his ministry have revealed that the source of the current outbreak in Chama is people handling, cutting, cooking and eating meat from hippos that have died from Anthrax in the Luangwa river.
Dr Chilufya says it has been observed that all the people infected so far have handled either the carcasses of the hippos that have died of anthrax or handled or eaten meat obtained from such carcasses.
He has since discouraged people from eating meat from the carcass of an infected hippo or any animal that may have died from unknown causes as this could be a source of infection which could lead to severe illness and even death.