Uganda warns tourists about anthrax

Asian Economic News, Feb 22, 2005

KAMPALA, Feb. 18 Kyodo

Uganda warned tourists Thursday about an anthrax outbreak among animals in Queen Elizabeth National Park and some other national parks in Uganda.

Tourists should not approach dead animals in the parks and not drink water from Kazinga Channel, a tourist attraction, tourism minister Jovino Akaki Ayumu told parliament.

The disease killed more than 125 hippopotamuses in Queen Elizabeth National Park alone last year and buffaloes and other animals are also falling victim, officials said.

Uganda has allocated $115,000 for disposing off dead hippos, vaccinating livestock and educating people about the disease. But the fund is running out, said Nicholas Kauta, head of Uganda's anthrax panel.

The Ugandan government attributes the recent anthrax epidemic to the dry spell, which is said to have forced animals to eat very short grass and ingest spores in the soil that carry the anthrax bacteria.

Anthrax is an infectious disease that mainly affects herbivores but also affects humans and is known to be used as a biological weapon.