Zambian authorities have warned residents against eating dead wildlife after an anthrax outbreak killed 60 wild animals and infected 12 people who consumed their meat.
The outbreak in the Munyamadzi Game Management Area in Muchinga province has killed 46 hippos, eight elephants, five buffaloes and a crocodile since July, according to Zambia’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit.
All 12 people infected are receiving treatment, and no human deaths have been reported.
The unit’s national coordinator, Norman Chipakupaku, said local residents had eaten the carcasses, highlighting their dependence on wildlife for food.
Officials urged communities to report animals found dead and avoid consuming, selling, distributing or handling meat from animals that died suddenly or from unknown causes.
Authorities also called for hunting in the affected area to be suspended while investigations establish the scale of the outbreak and the risks it poses. Surveillance and laboratory testing are continuing, with the full geographical spread still unclear.
Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, mainly affects grazing animals and can cause sudden death. Its spores can survive in soil for years, and humans can become infected through exposure to infected animals or contaminated animal products.
The disease is endemic in Zambia, although human deaths are uncommon. An outbreak in 2023 killed four people and spread to nine of the country’s 10 provinces.
Another major outbreak in 2011 involved more than 500 cases and killed five people after they ate meat from infected hippos.
