Rangpur Correspondent:

Two people have died with anthrax-like symptoms and at least 50 others have fallen ill in Pirgachha Upazila of Rangpur.

The deceased were identified as Abdur Razzak, 45, of Pirgachha Union, and Kamala Begum, 60, of Anandi Dhaniram village under Parul Union.

The Upazila Health Complex has not yet confirmed whether anthrax caused the deaths, but the Department of Livestock has detected anthrax in samples collected from a dead cow in the area.

A team from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) visited the affected areas on Sunday following their arrival in Rangpur a day earlier.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Muhammad Tanvir Hasnat said the issue had been under discussion for weeks, after several cattle died showing symptoms of anthrax. “Cutting the meat of those cattle can spread the germ. The Livestock Department tested samples and last week confirmed anthrax bacteria in the meat,” he said. He added that 10 to 12 patients have already received treatment and others are being attended to at local hospitals.

So far, 50 suspected cases have been reported across five unions, including Pirgachha Sadar, Tambulpur, Chhawla, and Parul.

Locals, however, alleged negligence by the Upazila Health Complex, claiming symptoms had been appearing for over two months. According to residents, Abdur Razzak, a van driver from Taluk Isat village, fell ill in July after injuring himself while butchering a sick cow. He died three days later at a private hospital in Rangpur city. His wife confirmed he had developed anthrax-like symptoms before his death.

In another case, Kamala Begum, 70, reportedly became sick after eating beef from an infected cow and later died at a private clinic in Rangpur. Her grandson said two other family members fell ill after eating the same meat but later recovered. The Livestock Office collected samples from the family home and confirmed the presence of anthrax, warning residents against consuming beef from sick cattle.

“We are all in panic,” said Jabbar Ali, a resident of the area. “Many people are taking treatment from local village doctors, but no significant action is being taken by the upazila or district health offices.”

Villagers in Nagarjitpur of Pirgachha Sadar Union said seven to eight people in their locality also fell ill after consuming beef from sick cattle. They claimed more than 300 cattle have died over the past two months.

Upazila Livestock Officer Ekramul Haque Mondal could not confirm the exact number of cattle deaths but said field-level surveillance had been intensified. “So far, 34,337 cattle have been vaccinated against anthrax,” he said. Awareness campaigns, including seminars and leaflet distribution, are also underway to discourage the slaughter of sick animals.