Bengal anthrax scare: Isolation wards in 2 hospitals
Times of India | 23 May 2025
123 Jalpaiguri: After three people died from a possible anthrax infection in Cooch Behar's Sitai recently, the health department has set up two isolation wards in the district to treat patients with symptoms of the disease.The animal resources department has also started vaccinating livestock within a one-km radius of Brahmattar Chatra village, where the three deaths were reported.The two isolation wards are located at Dinhata Subdivisional Hospital and Cooch Behar MJN Medical College and Hospital.A team of infectious diseases specialists, animal health experts and health department officials visited the village for inspection on Wednesday after traces of anthrax were found in tests on animal samples. Pathological samples were also collected from a few villagers who showed symptoms of the infection."Those human pathological samples have been sent to the govt laboratory in Belgachia. The test result will either confirm anthrax or negate it," said a health department official.Three villagers—Jonaku Barman (63), his wife Khirbala Barman (57), and a family member, Jayanti Barman (45)—fell ill after consuming goat meat last month. Two of them died at a hospital during treatment, and the third one died at home. Health department officials were informed about the consumption of dead goat meat by the trio only after the third death, which occurred on May 14.Several cattle and other livestock have died in the area in the past few weeks, said sources. It prompted health department officials, led by the block medical officer of health, to scout for villagers with symptoms and start administering medication due to the possibility of the disease being caused by the bacteria that triggers anthrax."There has so far been no report of any person falling ill with symptoms of anthrax. Our team is visiting the area regularly, and we have also prepared two isolation wards in two hospitals," said Himadri Sikhar Ari, the CMOH of Cooch Behar.Officials said a few samples collected from villagers on Wednesday showed clinical symptoms of two types of anthrax—cutaneous and gastrointestinal—which are less aggressive and generally not transmitted human-to-human. None has symptoms of inhalation or pulmonary anthrax, the most aggressive form caused by inhaled spores leading to respiratory distress, they added.