Hippos in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been affected by an anthrax outbreak over the past month. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/MCT/Tribune News Service via Getty

An anthrax outbreak has killed at least 30 hippopotamuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the past month. No cases in people have been reported so far, but authorities say they are monitoring the situation closely.

The dead animals were first found in September in Virunga National Park in eastern DRC, and laboratory tests confirmed they died from anthrax, a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis .

The outbreak comes at the same time as health authorities and conservation groups in the DRC manage large outbreaks of Ebola and cholera, and the ongoing humanitarian challenges caused by armed conflict in the region.…