Authorities in Thailand reported that a 53-year-old man from Mukdahan province, near the Laos border, died after contracting anthrax, marking the country’s first anthrax-related death since 1994.

Thai health officials revealed that the man sought medical attention for a lesion on his hand that appeared nearly two weeks after he slaughtered a cow. His condition quickly worsened as the lesion darkened – an indication of the disease – his lymph nodes swelled, and he began to suffer from bouts of dizziness and seizures.

He tragically passed away just three days after initially seeking assistance at a local hospital. Four additional cases were confirmed in the same province last month.

The outbreak has been epidemiologically linked to the slaughtering of cows. The first cow was slaughtered in mid-April, and its meat was shared among the villagers.

Another cow was killed towards the end of April. It is suspected that exposure to the meat or contact during the slaughtering process of these animals is the source of infection for all confirmed patients.

Officials have also identified at least 638 individuals who may have been exposed after consuming raw meat. Of these, 36 had participated in livestock butchering while the remainder had eaten raw or undercooked beef, according to officials.

In Thailand, three individuals have bounced back from hospitalization due to a rare brush with anthrax, returning to health after treatment. Farmers in the area were urged by authorities to keep an eye out for any animal illnesses or deaths and to refrain from consuming meat that hasn’t been cooked.

To trace the infection’s origin, experts collected samples from a myriad of sources including the patient’s knives, chopping blocks, soil from where the cows were slaughtered, and even the meat itself.

Although anthrax finds common ground across nations in South-East Asia, human incidents in Thailand are scarcely seen.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chimed in, remarking: “Although WHO does not recommend any restrictions on travel or trade, the current situation may lead to the imposition of animal trade measures. Some neighbouring countries have already introduced restrictions on the importation of animals and animal products from Thailand.

“Any decisions regarding international travel and trade should be based on a thorough risk assessment and should be proportionate to the actual public health risks involved.”

Anthrax represents a serious health threat stemming from Bacillus anthracis, a bacterium capable of lying dormant for ages until it finds a suitable host. The manner of infection in humans varies, as they can pick up the disease from infected animals or their tainted products.

Depending on how the disease is contracted, symptoms can walk a wide range, making their debut from a single day to several weeks post-exposure to the hostile bacteria.