Two more cutaneous anthrax infections were reported in northeast Liaoning Province, bringing the total number of people who were hospitalized for the disease to 32, health authorities said Tuesday. The two cases were found Monday in Donggang City, more than 100 km away from the city where the disease was first reported, Xinhua quoted the Liaoning Provincial Health Department as saying in a statement. Health experts noted that all the cases originated from the same source. As of 8 p.m. Monday, four cases have been confirmed while 28 others were still being investigated, according to the health department. An initial investigation by local health authorities showed that the patients contracted the disease after direct contact with diseased cattle. The government of Liaoning has since killed or disinfected more than 400 heads of cattle in the province and carried out a survey among over 20,000 people. Cutaneous anthrax is an infection of the skin caused by direct contact with infected animals or animal products. It is rarely fatal if treated.
