On Monday night, the Federal Government released a joint press statement signed by Dr. Columba Vakuru, Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The statement revealed that a risk assessment conducted by the human health sector indicated a high chance of anthrax outbreak in the country, with a significant potential impact on humans.
The announcement followed the confirmation of a single case of anthrax disease in a mixed livestock farm in Niger State, which marked the first reported animal case in Nigeria since the West Africa outbreak began in Ghana in June 2023.
Anthrax first Case
According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), on July 13, 2023, sudden deaths of livestock were reported on the farm, resulting in eight deaths.
The animals that died exhibited bleeding from their external orifices without blood clotting.
In response to the situation, the government has activated the incident management system at level two, appointing an incident manager to ensure effective coordination of the response efforts.
What causes Anthrax
Anthrax is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, primarily affecting animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats.
However, it can also infect humans who come into direct contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products, such as meat, wool, or hides.
Inhalation anthrax may occur through the inhalation of spores, while cutaneous anthrax can result from contact with contaminated materials or through open wounds.
Suspected symptoms of Anthrax
Dr. Columba Vakuru, the chief veterinary officer of Nigeria, stated that animals showing symptoms of suspected anthrax cases were observed on a farm in Suleja on July 14, 2023.
The farm, located at Gajiri along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Suleja LGA, Niger State, houses cattle, sheep, and goats.
Some of these animals displayed symptoms such as oozing blood from various body openings, including the anus, nose, eyes, and ears.
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FG warns Nigerians to stop eating ‘ponmo’, bushmeat
In another news, 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
