The Bangladesh government today issued a nationwide “red alert” against anthrax as the deadly bacteria continued to infect domestic animals and people in new areas nearly two weeks afters its first detection in Sirajganj district. The Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas told reporters in Dhaka today that his ministry has issued the red alert and has asked all the livestock officials and government doctors across the country to enforce a strict vigil on the situation. The minister said that committees have also been formed with livestock officers and civil surgeon or chief government doctors at district levels to coordinate a campaign to prevent, detect and treat anthraxinfections. The minister also said that there were adequate stocks of vaccines and drugs to treat the anthrax infected animals and people once they were detected. The ministry is also taking steps to send half a million vaccines for livestock to the affected areas out of which 200,000 vaccines have already been sent. According to officials of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research 298 people were detected so far with anthrax infection . However there have been no casualties so far. The disease initially broke out in Sirajganj and later spread to neighboring Pabna, Tangail, Kushtia, Panchagarh and some other areas across the country.