Anthrax outbreak kills hippos in DR Congo’s Virunga National Park
Summary
Laboratory tests confirmed that anthrax caused the deaths of 28 hippos in the Semuliki River near Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Park officials are monitoring the area and managing carcasses, while warning nearby residents not to touch or eat animals found dead.Key Facts
- Hippo deaths began in mid-September, and officials recorded 28 deaths over about one month.
- Tests identified anthrax, a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, as the cause.
- People can be exposed to anthrax through contact with sick or dead animals or by eating their meat.
- Virunga National Park is monitoring new deaths, arranging safe carcass disposal, and informing nearby communities.
- Officials advise residents not to touch, skin, or consume animals found dead and to report carcasses.
- Park officials said previous anthrax outbreaks among wildlife occurred during droughts.
- The park has lost control of a significant part of its territory over the past four years amid fighting between the Congolese army and M23 fighters.
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