Mukdahan: Mukdahan Provincial Public Health Office has reported the detection of an additional anthrax case, raising the total number of confirmed patients in the province to four, including one fatality. This latest development has heightened local fears regarding the potential spread of the disease through water sources, especially following recent rainfall.
According to Thai News Agency, the Mukdahan Provincial Public Health Office disclosed that the new case was confirmed on May 6, 2015. Currently, three patients are receiving medical care, with two being treated at Mukdahan Hospital and one at Don Tan Hospital. Out of 636 individuals who had contact with the disease, 538 have completed their surveillance period, leaving 98 still under observation for skin and gastrointestinal symptoms.
In the wake of these developments, health officials are continuing disinfection efforts at the site where villagers slaughtered and distributed beef on April 28, in tambon Lao Mi. Villagers have expressed concerns about Huai Bang Yi, a stream at the site that flows into the Mekong River. Despite disinfection and burial of contaminated water, the community is urging authorities to re-test the water for contaminants, noting that recent rains might have facilitated the transmission of germs from the soil into the water system.
