The anthrax challenge
Photo: Firoz Gazi / driknews
The anthrax situation is worsening day by day. In the last few days, the disease has spread in Narayanganj, Dhamrai and the outskirts of the city. The number of the infected has since crossed four digit, as new cases have been reported from Chittagong, Meherpur and Chaudanga districts in a single day. Therefore, anthrax is now a public health concern of worrisome magnitude, particularly because it is reportedly spreading through infected cattle. The steps so far taken by the government appear highly superficial and lack intelligent approach to the problem. For example, checkpoints have reportedly been set up on the highways to stop movement of the infected cattle and civil surgeons have been asked to remain ready to treat anthrax-infected people. The government has also taken emergency measures like cancelling the Eid holidays of the livestock department officials and employees. However, it has been reported in the media that a driver of a truck carrying cattle to the city said that he was not stopped at any checkpoint while coming to Dhaka, although the authorities claimed these have been set up. So, there are major loopholes in the arrangements so far taken. What appears even funnier is that a few days ago an hon'ble minister publicly urged the people (through the electronic media) to cook beef in the pressure cooker or better not to take beef at all! Did the minister ever thought as to how many people in rural Bangladesh can afford to buy pressure cookers? And again if the people just stop taking beef all of a sudden, over a million people would lose their avocation, as their livelihoods are directly related with this industry, right from rearing of cattle to preparing meats for the consumers across the country and again preserving hides and skin which ultimately fetch valuable foreign exchange. Hon'ble minister's solution reminds us of the old adage that if you have a headache, just cut you head and there will be no headache at all! Anthrax may be made into chemical compound, which may be used for spreading the disease. During the US-Iraq war, the Iraqis used anthrax against the American soldiers. The US, however, immediately developed vaccine against anthrax. Anthrax in chemical form can be used in cow to spread the disease. It is absolutely necessary for the Bangladesh government to find out the real causes of this calamity. I would urge the top brass of the government to immediately probe the matter with top most urgency and an enquiry committee be formed with technical experts, state intelligence personnel and learned Members of Parliament. The committee may find out, inter alia, why anthrax has spread into Bangladesh only and not in our neighbouring countries like India and Burma? And whether there has been any sabotage hatched by any vested quarter to destabilise the present government or to compel the government not to try the collaborators who were against our liberation and who committed crime against humanity. Whhether the disease has the roots in the animal feeds containing anthrax and imported by any unscrupulous importer of our country must also be found. Finally it has to be revealed if there is any foreign hand in it. Meanwhile, I would urge the government to take immediate steps to vaccinate all the cattle population of the country and import quality vaccine from the United States (as this country has the vast experience of dealing with such catastrophe). The government should also make the present stock of vaccine available to the affected through all the public and private hospitals and clinics across the country.
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