Kampala, Uganda
Nearly 200 hippos have died of anthrax in Uganda in the last few months, wildlife officials said this week. The outbreak began in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where half of the country’s 10,000 hippos live, but it may have spread. At least 14 buffaloes have died of the disease. Some reports said that as many as 10 people had died after eating tainted hippo meat, but officials said that could not be confirmed. The anthrax bacterium occurs naturally in the soil in Uganda. German experts are working with Ugandan scientists to contain the outbreak.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
