In Bangladesh, 22 people are suspected to be suffering from anthrax infection in a village in Siraj ganj district. The Bangladesh Director General of Health services Professor Dr.Shah Monir Hussain told All India Radio Special Correspondent in Dhaka that the district medical officer had reported the suspected cases of infection based on clinical symptoms. He said that a 3 member team of experts has been rushed to the village to examine the cases and bring back samples for further tests to confirm the cases. He also added that it is suspected that the persons were infected by handling a sick cow which had died in the village. Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the Bacteria Bacillus anthracis and commonly infects wild and domesticated herbivorous mammals which ingest or inhale the spores while grazing. Diseased animals can spread anthrax to humans, either by direct contact or by consumption of a diseased animal's flesh. Most forms of the disease which affect humans and animals are lethal. There are effective vaccines against anthrax while some forms of the disease respond well to antibiotic treatment.