The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development cautioned Nigerians to stop eating hides (Ponmo), bush meat, and smoked meat because of the outbreak of a disease called Anthrax in some neighboring countries.
In the statement signed by Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigerians should stay away from these meats for now.
According to Umakhihe, Nigerians need to be warned because the disease has currently spread in Northern Ghana bordering Burkina Faso and Togo.
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Punch reported Anthrax can be contracted from infected animals to humans, as its spores are naturally found in the soil and commonly affect domestic and wild animals.
However, Umakhile shared that despite it being a disease that can be contracted from animals, it is not a contagious disease.
Symptoms of Anthrax include; cough, fever, muscle aches, and if not diagnosed and treated early, lead to pneumonia, severe lung problems, difficulty in breathing, shock, and death.
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FG denies news of free DNA tests for Nigerians
In other news, Dr Olorunmimbe Mamora, the Minister of State for Health, has falsified news about free deoxyribonucleic acid tests popularly known as DNA tests for Nigerians.
The minister disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH In Abuja.
The Minister said: “This is a false claim. At no point did I or the minister say this. The claims about free DNA tests are not true.”
