The Unusual Suspect Behind the Milk Shortage: The Story of አባሰንጋ (aba senga)/ Anthrax

Zebeaman Tibebu
Apr 30
5 min read

In recent weeks, Addis Ababa’s milk supply has been facing a shortage. Milk shelves are becoming unusually bare, cattle stock farmers are not putting their milk on the market, households are rationing milk, and people are shifting to packaged powdered milk. Concerned parents are asking, “What is happening to the milk?”

Can anthrax be the suspect here?

The disease has been ravaging herds in key dairy-producing regions of Ethiopia. So, has the outbreak/or its fear reached into the capital`s breakfast tables, shaking the city`s food security?

Livestock production in Ethiopia contributes about 16.5% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 35.6% of the agricultural GDP, 15% of export earnings, and 30% of agricultural employment. Even a month earlier, Ethiopia's agriculture sector had boasted that it had doubled its milk production to 12 billion liters. However, the sector has been under consistent risk. Health problems are the second most important constraint in this regard. Among health challenges, Anthrax is found in the top five important livestock diseases. It is also the second top priority zoonotic disease, next to rabies, in Ethiopia.

🦠 What is Anthrax?

Anthrax is an acute bacterial infection caused by Bacillus anthracis. It primarily affects herbivores like cattle, sheep, and goats, but it can also infect humans through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. Thus, it is a zoonotic disease.

The disease is highly fatal in livestock. An infected animal will become a vector. It`s blood, meat, and even hide can become potent sources of infection, Hence, its proper handling and disposal are critical. Even properly disposed of anthrax spores can survive in soil for decades and resurface during dry seasons, followed by rainfall. Thus, Anthrax Outbreak is common in the months of April-May in Ethiopia.

🚨 Why Should Humans Be Concerned?

Anthrax is not just a rural veterinary crisis. It’s a public health, food security, and economic shock! Its impact passes far beyond the death of some cattle stocks. It concerns humans because:

1. It can pass from Animals to Humans and cause infection. It can be transmitted through:

Consumption of animal products from infected animals
Handling infected carcasses, hides, or meat without protective gear
Inhalation of spores (rare but lethal, mostly seen in industrial settings, leather processing)

🧬 There are three main types of anthrax in humans:

Cutaneous Anthrax—This is the most common type, which is transmitted through contact with an infected person or tissue. Symptoms include skin ulcers, black scabs, and fever.
Inhalational Anthrax- This is a rare but extremely fatal form of Anthrax, which causes severe respiratory distress. It is transmitted through breathing in spores of Anthrax.
Gastrointestinal Anthrax—This form is transmitted through the consumption of infected animal products. Its symptoms include Nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and blood-spread infection. It has a high fatality rate if untreated.

2. Infected Products Can Enter the Market

When anthrax outbreaks aren’t swiftly detected or reported, some desperate farmers may sell meat or milk before animals show visible symptoms or shortly after death. If this happens, it can cause further spread of the outbreak because:

Unpasteurized milk may carry spores.
Contaminated meat may reach rural or informal markets.
Infected hides may expose butchers, tanners, or artisanal workers.

The Outbreak: Where and How Bad?

Anthrax has been endemic in Ethiopia for quite some time. It is famously known by the pastoralist community as AbaSenga (አባ ሰንጋ). It has been reported from various regional states throughout the years. However, the inconsistent reporting, as well as the misreporting, hinders us from seeing the complete picture. These are some of the reports.

Between 2011 and 2020, 1,262 animal cases and 324 deaths were reported in the Awi Zone alone.
In 2019, outbreaks in the Wag Hamra and South Gondar zones affected both livestock and humans, with a 40% attack rate in one case. This outbreak has reportedly taken the lives of at least 3 people.

In Hintalo Southwest, Tigray anthrax outbreak has consumed the lives of at least 4 people in June of 2024.
In January 2025, an outbreak was reported in the Sheka zone. A few months later, on 17 April 2025, at least 7 people and 15 livestock died following an anthrax outbreak in Koka Kebele, West Omo Zone in the Southwest Ethiopia Regional State. Currently, health professionals have begun treating affected individuals and vaccinating livestock, while community awareness campaigns are underway to prevent the disease from spreading to nearby districts.

⚠️ What’s Fueling the Spread?

Several factors have converged to worsen the outbreak:

Climate extremes stir up buried anthrax spores in soil.
Low vaccine coverage leaves herds vulnerable.

Improper carcass disposal allows spores to persist and spread.

Market pressure can drive unsafe sales of sick or dead animals.

🧯 The Fight Back

In response to this threat, Ethiopia’s health and agriculture sectors have mobilized:

💉Mass livestock vaccination campaigns have been launched in Oromia and Amhara.
🧑🏽‍🌾Training farmers on disease recognition and carcass handling has been conducted.
🔍Stricter inspections at slaughterhouses and livestock markets are being done.

Still, these efforts are hindered by limited resources, underreporting, and logistics.

🛡️ What Can Be Done?

To contain this outbreak and prevent future crises, Ethiopia must act swiftly and strategically.

First, expanding livestock vaccination programs across all endemic and high-risk regions is non-negotiable—prevention starts at the pasture.
Second, empowering the frontline—farmers, butchers, and abattoir workers—through training in biosafety and disease recognition will help stop anthrax before it spreads.
Third, stronger oversight is needed to tighten regulations around milk processing and meat distribution, especially in informal markets where the risk of contaminated products slipping through is highest.

Fourth, public awareness must be elevated through nationwide campaigns warning of the dangers of consuming raw milk or meat from unknown sources.
Lastly, Ethiopia must invest in a modern, digital livestock disease surveillance system, enabling early detection, rapid response, and better coordination across sectors.

🥛Final Thoughts🥛

A glass of milk should be a symbol of health. In Ethiopia today, it’s also a symbol of how vulnerable our food systems are to zoonotic threats.

This outbreak reminds us that livestock health is public health. The consequences of the outbreak could pour into our very cups.

An outbreak doesn`t only affect by direct spread of the infectious agent, but also the spread of its fear cripples economy and production of goods. Thus, the milk shortage in Addis could be linked to either an unreported outbreak, the fear surrounding it, or potentially unrelated causes.

What are your thoughts?