Anthrax kills 28 hippos in DR Congo's Virunga National Park
The gist
Virunga National Park in DR Congo confirmed anthrax killed 28 hippos, following lab tests on carcasses found in the Semuliki River.
The park holds over 2,700 hippos, and residents nearby already face an Ebola outbreak.
How it unfolded
- Sep 3, 2026The first anthrax case of 2026 was confirmed in a beef herd in Meade County, South Dakota — the first confirmed case since 2024.
- Sep 10, 2026Zambia's National Disaster Risk Management Division advised people in Muchinga province not to consume, handle, sell, slaughter or distribute meat from animals that could have died from anthrax.
- Sep 21, 2026In Muchinga, Zambia, 21 people were suspected of contracting anthrax; only one case was laboratory-confirmed and no deaths were reported at the time.