With 4 new cases detected in the last 24 hours, a total of 589 people in Bangladesh have been confirmed to be infected by anthrax so far, according to Bangladesh's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) under the country's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

According to IEDCR, 12 districts out of 64 districts in the country have been found anthrax infected cases since the disease first broke out in Sirajganj district, 134 km northwest of capital Dhaka on Aug. 18.

Following the quick spread of anthrax to more new districts, the Bangladeshi government on Sept. 5 announced red-alert across the country and formed committees in all the 64 districts to coordinate all efforts of anthrax prevention and treatment.

The government Sunday decided to form a national coordination committee to contain anthrax outbreak in the country.

Anthrax is a highly contagious disease, usually transmitted on people through contact with meat, blood or skin of a herbivorous animal that has been infected.