Man with suspected anthrax dies in Kazakhstan

A 35-year-old man, who had been preliminary diagnosed with anthrax, has died in a hospital in southern Kazakhstan, the republic's emergencies ministry said on Friday.

ASTANA, July 4 (RIA Novosti) - A 35-year-old man, who had been preliminary diagnosed with anthrax, has died in a hospital in southern Kazakhstan, the republic's emergencies ministry said on Friday.

The man who was forced to cull a sick cow was taken Tuesday to the Shieli district hospital in the Qyzylorda region suffering from anthrax symptoms. Two other men, who also participated in slaughtering the animal, were hospitalized Wednesday evening, the ministry said.

A further 30 people who may have been in contact with the sick animal have been placed under medical observation.

Regional authorities have also set up a headquarters to coordinate health measures, introduced in the area, to combat and eliminate the lethal infection, the ministry said.

Anthrax cases have also been reported in neighboring Russia. Russia's health officials earlier said that ten people had been hospitalized in the East Siberian Republic of Buryatia with suspected anthrax.

An adult and a child were discharged from hospital on Friday after lab tests came back negative. Five others are currently awaiting test results. Two people are being treated for skin anthrax, while one person is suffering from the gastrointestinal form of the disease.

Sanitary officials have established that 210 people may have contracted the disease. They are currently being treated with antibiotics.