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A suspected anthrax disease outbreak has broken out in Nakayembe
area, killing 3 herds of cattle and leaving 9 people admitted to
Nakayembe Rural Health Centre in the newly created Luampa district of
Western Province. In an interview, Kaoma district senior environmental
health technologist, Akatama Inambao, confirmed that 9 patients admitted
to Nakayembe Rural Health Centre developed localised symptoms of
swelling of upper lips, legs, face and heads. He said all the 9 patients
were treated by the use of antibiotics and were now out of danger. He
has since appealed to the residents of Nakayembe and other surrounding
areas where anthrax is rife to avoid eating meat of an anthrax-infested
animal as the disease was contagious. Inambao said a team of health
experts had already been dispatched to the area in order to contain the
disease and carry out health education meetings on the dangers of eating
anthrax-infested meat and its devastating effects. And Kaoma district
agricultural coordinator Aubrey Chanda said the veterinary officers were
securing vaccines in order to vaccinate all the cattle in Nakayembe
area of Mulwa ward in Luampa district, so that the outbreak does not
spread to other areas. Chanda said the department would strengthen
awareness programmes to enlighten residents and cattle farmers about the
dangers of consuming the anthrax-infested meat. He said any dead animal
should be burnt and buried so that the disease could be brought to
manageable levels in the district.
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| Biohazard desc.: |
Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans,
and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as
Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue
hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa
fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or
unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this
level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is
mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain
multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous
detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all
traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are
electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time.
All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4
(P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate
the possibility of an accidental release. |
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