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Anthrax kills 1, hospitalizes 11 in Russia’s Siberia

28 August 2012 01:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. One people died and at least 11 others were hospitalized after an anthrax outbreak in Russia’s southern Siberia, the regional emergency department said Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Among the hospitalized, 10 people were from Druzhba village and one from Marushka village. Both villages were in Tselinny district, Altai territory.

According to authorities, a 39-year-old farmer died in Druzhba on Saturday, allegedly after contacting a diseased cow.

Two people in hospitals, both from Druzhba, a small village with a population of 740, have already been confirmed infected.

In the whole Altai territory, some 30 people were believed to have had contact with infected animals. All of them were receiving medical supervision.

Local authorities have quarantined the two villages to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.

Regional sanitary authorities said Monday that the situation was under control.

Anthrax commonly infects all warm-blooded animals, in particular cattle. Humans can catch anthrax by a direct contact with infected animals or eating contaminated meat.