Anthrax

An anthrax outbreak has been confirmed in Croatia, in the town of Drniš, located in Šibenik-Knin County. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of Bacillus anthracis in the affected animal. In response, Croatian authorities have declared an anthrax control zone in the area and are preparing to launch a livestock vaccination campaign to prevent further cases.

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A suspected anthrax death in a wild elephant at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve has triggered precautionary protocols including carcass disposal, vaccination directives for at-risk human populations, and intensified surveillance. The incident represents a potential zoonotic threat in a wildlife-human interface zone outside India's traditional eastern anthrax hotspots, occurring during the seasonal high-risk period observed in endemic regions.

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Uganda is experiencing an escalating anthrax burden, with 2024 recording 14 outbreaks—the highest annual count in eight years—primarily driven by contact with suddenly deceased livestock in cattle corridor districts. Media reports highlight a February 2026 outbreak in Lyantonde District that has caused four attributed deaths and two cases under care, with three laboratory-confirmed samples linked to handling of infected carcasses.

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DLS has initiated emergency measures to prevent anthrax. This indicates an immediate and serious public health concern requiring urgent preventative action.

This event envelope contains reports on anthrax outbreaks in Kenya.

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Anthrax remains endemic in Kazakhstan. This event envelope documents human and livestock anthrax occurrences in Kazakhstan.

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An anthrax outbreak in a buffalo herd in northeastern Bulgaria has resulted in nine animal deaths, with illegal meat processing creating significant human exposure risk. The delayed reporting and environmental contamination with persistent B. anthracis spores necessitate expanded vaccination, intensive surveillance, and investigation of potential human exposures through contaminated products.

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Anthrax is endemic across much of Mongolia, except in the southern semi-desert and desert regions. Human cutaneous anthrax (skin infection) is the most common form, typically resulting from contact with infected livestock. Since the mid-1990s, anthrax cases among both animals and humans have increased, partly due to changes in veterinary and public health systems (Odontsetseg N, et al. 2007).

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In March 2026, an anthrax outbreak in Natore District, Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, hospitalized 12 people after they handled or ate meat from a diseased cow, with three severe cases needing hospitalization. Veterinary investigations confirmed zoonotic transmission, and PCR testing verified infection in animals. The combination of environmental spore contamination and the seasonal peak transmission period poses a significant risk of human exposure through the consumption of uninspected meat from diseased animals.

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Anthrax is preventable: communities must avoid touching, skinning, or consuming suspicious carcasses, report cases to veterinary or health authorities, wash hands after handling animals, and seek immediate medical care if exposed. Anthrax, locally known as "Kooto" in Runyankore and "Kakooto" in Luganda, is a zoonotic disease that continues to recur in Uganda, causing severe impacts on both livestock and human health. Over the past decade, outbreaks have hit districts across the cattle corridor, including Isingiro in 2017, Kiruhura and Kween in 2018, and Ibanda, Kyotera, Amudat, and Sembabule between 2023 and 2024. In 2024 alone, outbreaks in Kazo, Kanungu, and Sembabule led to deaths and quarantines. Suspected cases in Kabale and a confirmed outbreak in Bushenyi this year underline that an...
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