At least 50 hippos and other large animals have died from anthrax in Congo, in Africa's oldest national park, Virunga. This is reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
Photos released by the national park show motionless animals floating down the Ishasha River. Park officials say they first started appearing last week. The exact cause of death of the animals is unknown, but tests have confirmed the presence of anthrax in them.
"Work is currently underway to recover and bury the animals to prevent further spread. This is difficult due to lack of access and logistics. We have the means to limit the spread by covering them with caustic soda," said park director Emmanuel de Merode in a comment to Reuters.
The river flows north to Lake Edward, one of the great African lakes, where more dead animals have been reported.
The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation has warned residents against contact with wild animals and insisted that residents boil water from local sources before drinking it.
What is known about the Virunga Park
Virunga covers an area of 7,800 square kilometers and is one of the most biodiverse and dangerous national parks on the continent. In recent decades, attempts have been made to increase the number of hippos in the park after the population declined from over 20,000 to just a few hundred as a result of poaching and war.
The park has been severely affected by the conflict between rebel groups and the Congolese army in recent years. Thousands of armed soldiers from various rebel groups are on the outskirts of the park, trying to wrest control of the region's resources. Many rangers have died defending the wildlife there.
Reference
Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It can be fatal, but it does not usually spread easily.
The bacterium mostly survives as spores that lie dormant in the soil for years before entering an animal through the respiratory tract, cut or wound. Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivores, such as amphibians and reptiles, which are naturally resistant to it. Reports from the World Organisation for Animal Health show that outbreaks of the disease are still observed in most countries in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and in a number of European countries.