MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities are evacuating nomadic reindeer herders and quarantining part of a Siberian region after an outbreak of anthrax killed more than 1,000 of their animals.
The appearance of the bacterial disease in the Yamalo-Nenets region is the first fatal anthrax outbreak reported in Russia for 75 years.
The governor’s office for the region, which lies 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) northeast of Moscow, said 13 people, including children, have been hospitalized for the disease and 63 people have been potentially affected. The herders are being evacuated to the regional capital of Salekhard.
Governor Dmitry Kolybin said Tuesday “we have taken all measures to isolate the area. Now the most important thing is the safety and health of our fellow countrymen — the reindeer herders and specialists involved in the quarantine.”
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