Finally the threat of Anthrax is going away. The ministry of livestock today withdrew the red alert on anthrax, just a month after it has issued the highest level of precautionary warning that included cancellation of casual leave of all veterinary doctors and livestock officials across the country.
“The red alert is no more,” declared Livestock and Fisheries Minister Abdul Latif Bishwas at a press conference at his ministry today, urging people to start consuming beef and milk to offset nutritional deficit and protect dairy, leather and meat industries.
“We are misinterpreted. The red alert was issued to instill confidence in public minds, not to scare them. The wrong message of a good wish of the government has inspired many people to temporarily stop beef and milk consumption,” Latif Bishwas said.
And this has created unusual demand for chicken and fish resources and thus skyrocketing the prices of such animal proteins, he said, adding that the economy has suffered a major setback due to anthrax panic and subsequent human behaviour.
Market analysts say the price of poultry meat and fish has gone up by 50 to 100 percent across the country after the people stopped eating beef and mutton due to anthrax scare.
One kilogram of fowl that was available at Taka 120-140 has risen to Taka 250 and above in some cases. The price of fish, which is already scarce, also shot up abnormally.
Anthrax commonly infects cattle which ingest or inhale the bacterium while grazing, and can infect people who come into contact with them or consume their meat. But it does not spread from human to human.
The current outbreak of anthrax has infected both cattle and human beings, but there was no report of human casualties or human to human transmission in the country. The anthrax outbreak was first detected on August 19 in Sirajganj district, 150 km (90 miles) from the capital Dhaka.
The victims fell sick after eating contaminated beef from diseased cattle. Evidence shows that the anthrax-infected people suffer from fever, severe pain and swollen tissues, often with lesions. The disease could be deadly if not treated immediately.
Latif Bishwas said anthrax had always in the country and this year the issue got ‘over attention’ due to high publicity from media.
He referred to the statistics of last two years and said anthrax infected 437 cattle in 2008 and 449 in 2009, while it infected only 104 this year after July.
“The number of infected and dead cattle this year is nothing compared to the cattle affected in last two years,” he said, adding that ‘irresponsible’ media reporting from different parts of the country has created panic among the people’s minds.
The minister, however, said the government, particularly his ministry, has taken a number of steps to build confidence in the people’s minds and protect the leather industry from major disaster during the upcoming Eid-Ul-Azha, when tanners collect nearly 80 percent of raw hide from sacrificed animals.
He also urged the cattle traders not to sell diseased cow during the upcoming Eid.
Source: DHAKA, Oct 7 (BSS)
