Anthrax: NCDC issues warning against eating meat from sick animals

Last updated Jul 19, 2023

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has warned Nigerians against consuming meat of sick animals as they may contain anthrax. This came on a day the House of Representatives urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to implement effective surveillance, vaccination, and awareness campaigns to contain the outbreak of Anthrax discovered in a farm at Gajiri Village, Niger State.

Anthrax is an infection caused by the spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, which typically affects ruminants such as cows, sheep, and goats. It is a zoonotic disease — transmissible from contaminated animals to humans

Recall that the agency had in the wake of the outbreak of the disease in some West African countries, issued warning against consumption of Pomo. Humans can get infected if they handle or are involved in the slaughter of a sick animal, or are in contact with contaminated animal products. The Director-General of NCDC, Ifedayo Adetify, who gave the warning in an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, yesterday, called on Nigerians to be cautious of the meat they consumed.

He said: “What we are saying is do not eat sick animals at all. Sick animals contain anthrax or animals that have died of anthrax contain anthrax and consumption of any of that product may be harmful to health. Anthrax is present on their skin, it’s present in their hair, in their meat. So, the consumption of any of these products, even the people who work with hides and skin who are not even working on skin for the purpose of consumption, are at the risk of anthrax, if that skin came from a dead animal. So, at this point in time, where we have a confirmed case, we are just saying, look out for the meat that you buy.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in implementing effective surveillance, vaccination, and awareness campaigns to contain the outbreak of Anthrax discovered in a farm at Gajiri Village, Niger State. It also called on the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, to put in place measures that would stop the further spread of the disease.

These resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance, titled “Need to curtain the Outbreak of Anthrax discovered in a farm at Gajiri Village, Suleiman, Niger State”, moved by Adamu Tanko at plenary yesterday. Moving the motion, Tanko said the relevant stockholders should provide adequate resources and support to affected communities, including compensation for losses incurred due to the outbreak.

He explained that the report of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development concerning the presence of anthrax in Nigeria, adding that the laboratory test conducted on the collected samples by the National Veterinary Research Institute confirmed the first reported case at a livestock farm located in Gayin village.

According to him, similar cases of the disease were confirmed in Northern Ghana, Burkina Faso and Togo with symptoms, including sudden death and blood oozing from natural body openings (nose, ear, mouth, and anal region) and spread through affected livestock, bush meat, and contaminated environments.

He also expressed worry that Anthrax might affect humans in direct contact with affected animals and contaminated products, with potential inhaling, through spores or wounds.

He called for proactive measures to prevent spread of the disease in Nigeria and the need to protect the health and livelihoods citizens by placing public health precautions, such as strict surveillance and monitoring of livestock farms, as well as proper disposal of infected animals and contaminated materials.

Wumi/VANGUARD