Anthrax kills two in Bawku West

At least two people have been reported dead following an outbreak of anthrax at Widnaba, a community near Zebilla in the Bawku West District of the Upper East region.

Several others are battling for survival at the Bawku West District Hospital in the wake of the outbreak. Experts have warned the public against patronising unauthorised slaughterhouses in the region to avoid getting infected.


Reports gathered by Starr News suggest three cows and 11 sheep suddenly died of what was suspected to be anthrax. The deceased, a young man and a middle-aged woman, reportedly consumed the meat of one of the dead animals and died shortly after.

Some 15 people, who apparently had eaten from the meat of the infected ruminants at separate locations, were rushed to the district’s main hospital where they were admitted for showing signs of the disease. The number swelled after more people showing symptoms of anthrax reported at the same hospital.

“Now, everybody who is in Upper East should be very, very careful, because the animals do move from one place to another; secondly, human beings do move from Bawku to Bolga. Thirdly, a lot of people normally eat dead animals. The people have to buy [meat] from authorised slaughterhouses,” Dr. Bashiru Boi Kikimoto, Head of Public Health for the Veterinary Services of Ghana, told Starr News.

Meanwhile, a team of veterinary officers is said to have vaccinated ruminants belonging to relatives of the deceased and those that belong to the surviving victims in the aftermath of the outbreak to stem the spread of the virus.

Anxious residents told Starr News the disaster calls for more public education and wider vaccination particularly in the rural areas.

“At least they should know that if any animal dies and no fly settles on the meat, it’s anthrax. But they overlook all these things because of the love of meat. It has been happening. But they don’t learn from their mistakes. People perish for lack of knowledge. We need to educate the people to know more about this anthrax,” founder of the Widows and Orphans Movement, Betty Ayagiba, said.

Lazarus Agana, a security officer, appealed to individual commercial butchers and those who rare ruminants for profit-making purposes in the region to put the wellbeing of the public above their personal interests by not selling, but rather burying animals that die under unexplained circumstances.

Anthrax generally comes with symptoms that include painless skin sores that appear around the face, neck, arms or hands, fever and chills, chest discomfort, headache, cough, extreme tiredness, nausea, shortness of breath, body aches, dizziness, sore throat, stomach pain and fainting among others. Victims often discharge blood through their nostrils, ears, eyes and anus when they are about to die.

Source:starrfmonline.com