Four Dead, Over 10 Hospitalized After Burial Feast in Rakai

Tragedy has struck Rakai and Lyantonde districts after a burial feast resulted in a severe illness outbreak, leading to four deaths and over ten hospitalizations. The victims are believed to have fallen ill shortly after consuming beef served at the funeral of a man identified as Umar.

Three of the deceased have been identified as Charles Bangirana, Jennifer Ntejerize, and Christmas Behekanira. The identity of the fourth victim is still unconfirmed. Their bodies have been taken to Lyantonde Hospital for postmortem examinations, while the hospitalized individuals are receiving treatment at Lyantonde General Hospital.

Police spokesperson SP Twaha Kasirye indicated that preliminary findings point towards the consumed meat as the likely cause. “Almost everyone who ate from this cow has developed health complications,” Kasirye stated, adding that reports of people using traditional medicines for the illness have also surfaced.

Authorities are now leaning towards the possibility of an anthrax outbreak, a serious bacterial infection transmissible from animals to humans, particularly through contaminated meat. Samples from the deceased and affected areas have been collected for laboratory analysis to confirm the cause.

Health and security teams from both districts have launched a joint investigation to assess the scale of the outbreak and prevent further fatalities. They are urging anyone who consumed the meat and is experiencing symptoms to seek immediate medical attention. This incident has also raised concerns due to a previous anthrax outbreak in the neighboring Kyotera District in 2024.

Further investigations are underway, including monitoring affected communities as laboratory tests are expedited to determine if anthrax was indeed responsible for these recent deaths.