Kenya is one of five countries in East and Southern Africa where anthrax is spreading.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 1,100 suspected cases and 20 related deaths have been reported.
According to World Health Organization data, 1,166 suspected and 37 confirmed cases have been recorded in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The disease is endemic in these countries, with seasonal outbreaks occurring each year.
According to WHO, the outbreaks exhibit various patterns in the affected countries.
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“In Kenya, three deaths have been reported this year compared with zero fatalities from over 200 suspected cases in 2022,” WHO said.
An outbreak of the disease was reported in Kisii county in January, with ten people admitted to hospital after contracting the infection. Those admitted to the hospital were said to have eaten meat from an infected carcass.
The WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, stated that to end these outbreaks, the infection cycle must be broken by first preventing the disease in animals.
“We are supporting the ongoing national outbreak control efforts by providing expertise as well as reinforcing collaboration with partner agencies for a common approach to safeguard human and animal health,” she said.
Anthrax is a bacterial disease that primarily affects domestic and wild herbivores.
According to the WHO, humans contract the disease from infected animal carcasses or contaminated animal products.
Anthrax transmission from animal to animal and human to human is uncommon, though rare cases of person-to-person transmission of cutaneous anthrax have been reported.
Cutaneous anthrax is the most common of the disease's three forms. It is responsible for more than 95 percent of all human cases worldwide.
Zambia has the largest outbreak of the five countries, with nine of its ten provinces affected.
As of 20 November, Zambia had reported 684 suspected, 25 confirmed cases and four deaths. Only sporadic cases have previously been reported in animals and humans in the country.
