Officials dismiss claims of anthrax incident in Ankara’s Mamak district

ANKARA

The Ankara Governor’s Office on Sept. 10 dismissed claims regarding an anthrax incident in the capital’s Mamak district. 

“Following allegations of an anthrax incident in Mamak, claimed by some media outlets and social media accounts, an investigation has been launched. No anthrax incident has been found. Hospitals have not admitted any anthrax-infected patients,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

It also called on the public to ignore “such baseless allegations.”

The first case of anthrax was reported on a farm in Ankara as Turkish authorities determined that 4,000 animals imported from Brazil were infected after a number of animals died ahead of the “Feast of Sacrifice” in August.

Following Ankara, around 48 citizens went to hospitals in Istanbul over suspicions of anthrax infection, as six were taken under treatment, the Health Ministry announced on Sept. 2.

Authorities have said the cases were brought under control as thousands of animals were vaccinated as a precaution and infected citizens received the necessary treatment.