Thailand's First Anthrax Death in Decades Sparks Alert

Thailand has reported its first anthrax-related death in decades, prompting a public health alert. A 53-year-old man in Mukdahan province died, with over 600 potentially exposed individuals under monitoring. Authorities are implementing containment measures and investigating the source of the outbreak.

In a concerning development, Thailand has announced its first anthrax-related death in decades, igniting a public health alert across the nation. The victim, a 53-year-old man from Mukdahan province near the Laos border, succumbed after contracting the rare bacterial disease, which has also led to another confirmed case and several suspects under scrutiny.

Health authorities in Thailand swiftly responded by identifying over 638 individuals who might have been exposed, primarily through the consumption of raw meat. Of these, 36 were involved in butchering livestock, while others consumed raw or insufficiently cooked beef. Preventive antibiotics are being administered as part of the containment strategy.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that all potentially exposed individuals are under close observation. Meanwhile, the Livestock Department has implemented a quarantine zone spanning 5 kilometers around the site of the infection. Plans to vaccinate more than a thousand cattle are underway, though no animals have shown symptoms so far. The government continues to investigate the infection's source and is maintaining increased surveillance in border regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)