Anthrax and Qurbani

The recent anthrax scare began in Bangladesh with the first detection of the disease in humans on 18 August, 2010. One month later, during the time a red alert was issued by the government, The Daily Star published a news that the sale of red meat plummeted by as much as 92 percent; the number of reported cases had risen to 523 people.

A month later, on 7 October, 2010 the alert was lifted but the fear of the disease still lives in our hearts…

We are now faced with a critical question: is it safe to slaughter, process and eat cattle meat this Eid- ul- Adha?

Caused by the rod-shaped bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, anthrax is considered to be an acute disease. This type of bacteria, like many other types, is able to form dormant spores and survive in harsh conditions for very long periods of time -- even centuries. The victims of this disease are typically herbivores that consume or inhale those spores while grazing.

So how do humans become victims of anthrax? Cutaneous anthrax occurs when the spores enter the skin through an abrasion. Gastronomic tract anthrax is contracted from eating contaminated food, especially meat from an animal that has contracted anthrax. Pulmonary (inhalation) anthrax is caused by breathing in airborne anthrax spores. Luckily, there are effective vaccines and antibiotic treatments are also effective for some forms of the disease.

And the government has been using such measures to free the country from this epidemic. Has it been successful? Yes, according to the government. That's why it eventually lifted the red alert. Abdul Latif Biswas, Minister for Fisheries and Livestock said, “Henceforth, there will be no red alert”. The government claims that it is continuing its efforts to monitor the disease and keep it under control even though the red alert has been lifted.

Taking away the red alert was hoped to better the situation of red meat traders. How do they foresee the demand for cattle this year? Shah Jahan, a cattle... [continues]

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