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 anthrax infections. 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 to the affected areas.More than two weeks after the anthrax outbreak was detected in Siraj ganj district , the disease has still not been contained. The disease which primarily affects livestock spreads to Human beings either by direct contact of infected animals or through consumption of the infected meat. The initial cases were reported in a village in Sirajganj after some people were affected by handling infected cows. The disease later spread to neighboring Pabna, Tangail, Kushtia, Panchagarh and some other areas across the country. According to health officials more than 298 people were detected so far with anthrax infection but there have been no casualties so far as most of the infections reported are of cutaneous type which responds to antibiotic treatment. The government has taken steps to provide free treatment for the affected people and has also launched a massive vaccination drive for livestock along with a campaign to created awareness among people to contain the disease.