Koraput, July 01: An expert team from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi has collected specimen of skin lesions from suspected anthrax patients in Lamtaput block in Koraput district. The six-member team headed by Dr.D.Bhattacharya, joint director NICD , visited the block for three days beginning friday last. The Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Koraput, Dr.M.R.Sahu said that the NICDD team would submit its finding within a week. Stating that 81 suspected anthrax case had been reported in Lamptaput and Boipariguda blocks since March last, the CDMO said they had undertaken widespread vaccination to contain its spread. The team also met the families of the three persons who died of suspected anthrax recently, he said.

However, the Chief District Veterinary Officer (CDVO), Krushna Chandra Patra said that an expert team from animal diseases research institute, Cuttack, had also camped at Lamtaput block to detect anthrax in cattle.

The CDVO said he had sent slides from Tokel village of Boipariguda block to Bhawanipatra Research Institute for Culture in April last and the samples were reported to be that of Hemorgic Septacia (HS) disease, he said.

Bureau report