By William N-lanjerborr Jalulah
The annual outbreak of Anthrax in the Upper East Region has claimed two lives in the Googo community in the Bawku West District. The deceased include a 40-year-old man, Azumah Agora, and a 16-year-old boy, Atibudi Adaborogo.

Dr. Thomas Anyorikiya, Upper East Regional Veterinary Officer, who disclosed this to The Chronicle in an interview, said the deceased died after consuming the meat of infected animals. Azumah died on April 18, while Atibudi died on April 20, 2012.

The outbreak of the disease in the region has become an annual ritual, and cuts across districts. It is however, more pronounced in the Talensi-Nabdam and Bawku West districts.

Dr. Anyorikiya said animals, mainly cows, belonging to a number of households have been affected, explaining that apart from the deceased, some other people were being treated at the various health facilities in the district, after consuming the meat of the dead animals.

To avert the further spread of the disease, Dr. Anyorikiya said personnel from the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, on April 23, 2012, begun vaccinating animals in the Googo Community, while personnel from the Ministry of Health are also carrying out the screening of community members to ascertain the possible presence of Anthrax in their bodies.

What is, however, worrying, is the fact that one wonders why people still eat dead animals around this time of the year, when they have been educated so much about the disease, and the fact that this is the season when it kills animals.

The situation implies that people in the Googo community have not taken the education on Anthrax seriously, and are now bearing the brunt.