Ziaul Islam Saju, Gangni (Meherpur)

An anthrax outbreak continues to plague Gangni upazila of Meherpur for over a decade, with the infection count reaching 412 as of Sunday morning.

Over 400 people have been infected in the last three months alone, raising fresh concerns over the endemic nature of the bacterial disease in the region. According to official data from the Gangni Upazila Health Complex, the upazila recorded 793 cases in 2023, 686 in 2024, and 637 in 2025.

In response, a special team from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), led by Dr. Arif, has initiated field investigations to study the bacterial strains and test rapid diagnostic tools (RDTs). So far, samples have been collected from 72 patients out of a targeted 200.

Health officials noted that all recent cases in Gangni are restricted to cutaneous (skin) anthrax, caused primarily by handling meat or body fluids of infected cattle and goats.

Dr. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Medical Officer at the Meherpur Civil Surgeon’s Office, expressed concern over widespread self-medication and indiscriminate antibiotic treatment by village doctors, which obscures actual patient data and increases the risk of drug resistance.

Meherpur Civil Surgeon Dr. AKM Abu Sayeed emphasized the urgent need for a coordinated prevention framework, while District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Tofazzal Hossain advised livestock keepers to refrain from slaughtering infected animals and immediately report suspected cases to authorities.