Government has launched a mass anthrax vaccination campaign targeting 20,000 animals across Mpika, Shiwang'andu and Lavushimanda districts in Muchinga Province, as authorities move to ring-fence the outbreak first reported last week.
Mpika has been identified as the epicentre. Veterinary teams are working through the three districts vaccinating cattle, while public health officers continue surveillance for human cases linked to contact with infected animals or carcasses.
The campaign answers the central question raised when suspected anthrax cases were first recorded in the province: whether the response would outrun the outbreak. Anthrax spreads between animals and humans primarily through contact with infected carcasses, which is why officials have repeatedly warned communities not to slaughter, sell or consume animals found dead.
The advice stands: report sudden livestock deaths to veterinary officers, do not open carcasses, and seek treatment immediately for suspicious skin lesions or fever after animal contact. Anthrax is treatable with antibiotics when caught early.
Authorities say the vaccination round, combined with movement controls in affected areas, should contain the outbreak within the province. Lusaka Brief will track the case numbers as the Ministry of Health updates them.
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