# Zambia's anthrax outbreak hits wildlife and people

> Sixty dead animals, twelve sick people, and one warning Zambians are being asked to heed.
- Title: Zambia's anthrax outbreak hits wildlife and people · BBC News
- Summary: Sixty dead animals, twelve sick people, and one warning Zambians are being asked to heed. An animal that drops dead for no clear reason is not free meat, it…
- Keywords: zambia, anthrax, wildlife, public health, bushmeat, news, world, Zambia's, outbreak, hits, people, BBC News
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8en6v3601o
- Published: 2026-09-14T11:35:08.586+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: zambia, anthrax, wildlife, public health, bushmeat, news, world
## A warning about dead animals
Zambian authorities told the public to stop eating meat from wild animals after dozens died in an anthrax outbreak. Hippos, elephants, buffalo and a crocodile were among them.
## Twelve people already infected
A disaster management official said 12 people caught anthrax after eating dead wildlife near the Munyamadzi River. All are in treatment and no deaths have been reported.
## The toll on the game area
Since July, the Munyamadzi Game Management Area in Muchinga province has lost 46 hippos, eight elephants, five buffaloes and one crocodile.

> The carcasses ended up being eaten by the local people - that's what they depend on for their food
## Hunger drives the risk
The national coordinator of the disaster unit pointed to the hard part: people in the area rely on that meat to eat, so carcasses rarely go untouched.
## Zambia has been here before
Anthrax is endemic to Zambia. A 2023 outbreak reached nine of 10 provinces and killed four people. In 2011, more than 500 cases followed infected hippo meat, and five died.
## Spores that wait in the soil
Bacillus anthracis survives as spores in soil for years, then enters an animal through a wound or the lungs. Grazers die suddenly, and humans catch it by handling the remains.
## Key takeaway

An animal that drops dead for no clear reason is not free meat, it is a warning sign. Report it, don't eat it.