Anthrax, a killer virus was found in the carcass of an elephant in Bangladesh's southeastern Bandarban hill district bordering Myanmar.

This is the first time that anthrax was detected in animal in Bangladesh, an expert in Chittagong said by phone Friday.

Experts fear the virus made its way to Bangladesh from Myanmar or Thailand.

The existence of anthrax in the body of the dead elephant, which was found in deep forest of Lama sub-district bordering Myanmar, was detected by veterinary experts in southeastern Chittagong.

AKM Saifuddin, a professor in the Chittagong government veterinary college said the forest department in Bandarbar sent sample of blood and meat from the carcass of the dead elephant on June 11. "After testing the samples we found the existence of anthrax in the elephant," he said.

He said presence of anthrax was found in Bangladesh in the body of cattle in the past.

"Anthrax is a killer virus for animals," Saifuddin said, addingthat this virus spreads very quickly and kill the animals in a short time. "The virus is dangerous for human body also," he added.

The experts are fearing that the virus might spread to elephants and other animals in the forest, which might attack human also.

The elephants from Myanmar very often intrude into Bangladeshi forest. So the experts are fearing the virus might spread in the entire forest area in the hill districts.

People in the Bandarban areas have become scared after detection of the anthrax virus in the carcass of the elephant. Many of the scared people are fleeing their homes to safer places.

Source: Xinhua