About 200 people were on Sunday rushed to hospital after consuming meat from a cow suspected to have died of anthrax. More than 120 were treated and discharged. By Monday, 80 people were still admitted at Kanyakine district hospital.
Residents of a village in Igoji were still in shock as more people streaked to the hospital on Monday complaining of stomach aches, diarrhea and head aches. The cause of their troubles was traced back to meat that they had eaten.
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| meat: Pujanak |
Meru County health officials on Monday confirmed that the owner of the affected cow had sought the services of a quack veterinary official who advised the farmer to slaughter the cow even after he had treated it with antibiotics.
The farmer then sold the meat to unsuspecting residents. Initial investigations indicated that the cow could have been suffering from Anthrax. However, the health officials were reluctant to confirm the fears only saying that the animal was suffering from an unknown disease.
Meru county police have been instructed to arrest the farmer and the Vet then arraign them in court on Wednesday after "Mashujaa" public holiday. Animals that have been treated with antibiotics are not supposed to be slaughtered for meat until after one month. Residents have been advised to always confirm that meat has an inspection stamp of approval before purchasing it.
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