Table 1.

Epidemiological characteristics of human anthrax cases reported from 2004 to 2020, Ha Giang province, Vietnam (N = 139)

Characteristic			Frequency	Percentage
Gender	Male		103	74.1
	Female		36	25.9
Age	< 5 years		22	15.8
	5–14 years		17	12.2
	15–24 years		29	20.9
	25–39 years		52	37.4
	40–59 years		18	12.9
	≥ 60 years		1	0.7
Type of anthrax	Cutaneous		134	96.4
	Respiratory		2	1.4
	Gastrointestinal		3	2.2
Site of admission/treatment	At home		15	10.8
	Commune health center		96	69.1
	District hospital		27	19.4
	Provincial hospital		1	0.7
Self-reported source of infection	Slaughter sick/dead animal		8	5.8
	Process meat of sick/dead animal		9	6.5
	Eat meat of sick/dead animal		58	41.7
	Slaughter + eat meat of sick/dead animal		43	30.9
	Unknown		21	15.1
Species of sick/dead animal to which patient was exposed	Available information (46 cases, 33.1%)	Buffalo	6	13.0
		Cattle	16	34.8
		Goat	5	10.9
		Horse	16	34.8
		Pig	3	6.5
	No information (93 cases, 66.9%)
PCR test result	Available information (42 cases, 30.2%)	Positive	20	47.6
		Negative	22	52.4
	No information (97 cases, 69.8%)

PCR = polymerase chain reaction.