Second anthrax case reported in Mukdahan province

A second man, in Don Tarn district of the north-eastern Thai province of Mukdahan, has contracted anthrax and is now undergoing treatment, while two other suspected cases are waiting until tomorrow for their test results.

Dr. Narong Chankaew, the provincial health chief, said today that the second case is a 53-year-old man, who has a history of slaughtering cattle and eating the uncooked meat with first victim.

The man has developed rashes on his body and a wound on his right hand, but his condition is not serious because he does not have any relevant comorbidities, said the doctor, adding that the man is being treated at the Mukdahan Hospital, which may take about two weeks.

He also said that there are 638 people in the district who were reported to have eaten raw meat and to have been involved in the slaughtering of livestock.

They have been prescribed the broad spectrum antibiotic Doxycycline, which they are required to take for about a week. They have been told not to eat meat during this period and to report to the hospital immediately if they develop abnormalities.