Bangladeshi health officials report that at least 19 people in that country have been diagnosed with anthrax.
Further tests are being carried out on the patients, but local officials in the Sirajgunj district – where the cases arose – nevertheless said they do not believe the infection is serious enough to warrant quarantine. .
Anthrax is caused by a bacterium found naturally in the soil. Symptoms include skin ulcerations, nausea, vomiting, and fever.