Ranchi, June 12: An anthrax alert has been sounded in Simdega following six people exhibiting its symptoms today, a death last week and two more last month that Ranchi experts confirmed were due to the fatal cattle disease, triggering mega training for grassroots health workers.

Half a dozen people, with anthrax symptoms in Kondigi village of Thethaitangar block in Simdega, were admitted to the block health centre today.

Kondigi is barely 25km away from Basartoli village in Thethaitangar where one Emil Dungdung died last week. Two more persons died in nearby Kolebira block in May.

People usually get anthrax through cuts and sores on skin while handling infected animals or by consuming their meat, Simdega civil surgeon Dr Benedict Minz said.

Inhalation of spores is more uncommon, but not unheard of.

Dr Ramesh Kumar Prasad, director of the state's Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said samples from the body went to RIMS in Bariatu, Ranchi, while that of the carcass of the animal the man had handled went to Institute of Animal Health and Productivity in Kanke.

"Due to antibiotics in the body, microbiologists at RIMS could not confirm anthrax strain. But, the vets at Kanke institute confirmed the carcass that caused the deaths last month had anthrax. The symptoms are identical, so it would be reasonable to say this man (Emil) also died of the disease," IDSP director Prasad said, citing the urgency to generate awareness about disease and prevention.

"Yes, this means anthrax is constantly spreading and we need to control it immediately," said Dr Benedict Minz, civil surgeon of Simdega.

Prasad added it made a strong case for extensive training of 780 sahiyas and 38 supervisors or sahiya sathis in the district to generate awareness.

"Last week, I'd trained sahiyas of Bano, Kolebira and Thethaitangar blocks. This week, sahiyas in Bolba have been trained. By next week, entire Simdega will be covered. I am personally training sahiyas so that they can play an active role in their respective villages in generating awareness," said Prasad.

He added sahiya sathis would be trained next week.

"We are planning to rope in 140 ANMs and 45 health workers in the district during the training as well so that awareness generation is intense," said Akay Minz, state programme coordinator (sahiya programme) under Jharkhand Rural Health Mission Society.

Wall messages and announcements on loudspeakers have also been planned.

Dr Tunul Hembrom, state nodal officer of IEC wing of National Health Mission, Jharkhand, said: "A newspaper ad released today informs Simdega residents about anthrax and how it spreads. People must stop handling infected carcasses and inform officials on time."

Last year in October, nine anthrax deaths were reported in Simdega.