Infected camel meat kills 8

Eight Afghans who ate meat from an infected camel as part of a religious celebration died of what health experts suspect is a rare case of naturally occurring anthrax, officials said.

Two women and an infant were among those who died in the southwestern province of Nimruz, said Dr. Abdullah Fahim, an advisor to Afghanistan’s health minister.

Ten others fell ill.

Officials cannot say positively that the deaths were anthrax related until laboratory tests are completed in the next two days, Fahim said.

He said there was no evidence to suggest terrorism played any part in the outbreak.