Thailand reports first anthrax death, hundreds exposed

Thailand has issued a public health alert following its first anthrax-related death—a 53-year-old man in Mukdahan province near the Laos border—which has prompted investigations into additional suspected cases and exposure among hundreds. Authorities have identified at least 638 people potentially at risk, mainly from eating raw or undercooked meat or participating in livestock butchering, all of whom are being monitored and given antibiotics. Containment measures include a quarantine zone around the infection site and planned vaccination of over 1,200 cattle, though no animals have shown illness. The death is the first recorded from anthrax in Thailand, a disease not spread person-to-person but typically contracted through contact with infected animals or contaminated meat. This incident follows a rise in regional anthrax cases, with neighboring countries like Laos and Vietnam also reporting recent infections. Thai officials continue to investigate the source and maintain heightened surveillance in border areas.