By Weswa Ronnie
NAMISINDWA
Local authorities at Bubutu Town Council in Namisindwa district have arrested two people for exhuming and eating an animals suspected to have died of Anthrax.
Currently three districts in the Elgon region of Manafwa, Bududa and Namisindwa are under quarantine due to the outbreak of Anthrax disease in animals.
According to Michael Woopu, the LCI chairperson of Buwatit cell, Bumusoni Ward, Bububutu town council in Namisindwa district, the suspects as Patrick Wakulu aged 37 and another only known as Masayi aged 40 years, all residents of Buwatit cell.
He adds that the two were caught red-handed skinning a dead cow belonging to Herbert Mutuma, an area resident who had buried cow on Friday, 10th June 2022.
Woopu also says that following the alert by district leaders about the outbreak of Anthrax last month in the three districts, they called Isaac Ongom, the Namisindwa district Veterinary Officer, to come and intervene about the death of the animal but he later told them to bury it after showing signs of Anthrax.
Meanwhile, Ongom told this reporter that the animal was having signs and symptoms of Anthrax and as a technical person he ordered for the burial but was surprised that the two went ahead to exhume and eat the animal’s meat.
He condemned what the two did saying that this may continue spreading the disease in the area.
Mika Khayanga, the area councillor urged people in the area to always report any suspected animals with Anthrax to local leaders so that they can reduce the spread.
By press time the two were still under detention at Bubutu town council LCIII prison.
Namisindwa district has so far registered two cases of Anthrax from Tsekululu Sub County according to Ongom.
