JUST IN: FG CONFIRMS FIRST CASE OF ANTHRAX IN NIGER STATE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The first case of anthrax in Nigeria was confirmed by the Federal Government on Monday. The disease was found on a farm in Niger State.
On June 13, 2023, a national daily reported that the Federal Government had warned the public about anthrax outbreaks in a few nearby countries in the West African sub-region and urged Nigerians to refrain from eating hides, also known as ponmo, at this time.
The FG had particularly mentioned that the illness was common in northern Ghana, which borders Burkina Faso and Togo, and had also committed to keeping Nigerians informed of any changes about the illness.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that it was “deeply concerned to announce the confirmation of an anthrax case in Niger State, Nigeria.”
It added, “On July 14, 2023, the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria was notified of animals manifesting symptoms of a suspected case of anthrax in a farm in Suleja, Niger State.
“The case was in a multi-specie animal farm comprising of cattle, sheep and goats located at Gajiri, along Abuja-Kaduna expressway Suleja Local Government Area, Niger State, where some of the animals had symptoms including oozing of blood from their body openings – anus, nose, eyes, and ears.”
The FMARD stated that a rapid response team comprising of federal and states’ One Health Professional Team visited the farm to conduct preliminary investigations and collected samples from the sick animals.
“Subsequent laboratory tests by the National Veterinary Research Institute laboratory confirmed the diagnosis, marking the first recorded case of anthrax in Nigeria in recent years and after the report of an outbreak of anthrax in Northern Ghana a few weeks ago. All animals affected have died,” the ministry stated.
Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacteria that mostly affects cattle, sheep, and goats, is the source of anthrax.
Additionally, it can spread to people who have direct contact with diseased animals or animal products like meat, wool, or hides.
Anthrax can be inhaled through the inhalation of spores, but cutaneous anthrax can be contracted through open wounds or contact with contaminated objects.
However, according to the statement, proactive steps had been taken by the Federal Government through the FMARD in coordination with the Niger State Government to ensure that the outbreak was rapidly confined and controlled in Nigeria.
“This includes quarantine of the affected farm, deployment of anthrax spore vaccines to the affected and adjoining farms to vaccinate in-contact animals, and educating the farm workers of the affected farms on symptoms, preventive measures, and what to do when they encounter suspected cases.
“Plans are also underway to conduct nationwide vaccination of cattle, sheep, and goats against anthrax. Surveillance of anthrax will be heightened in livestock farms, markets and abattoirs. Public awareness campaigns on anthrax will be intensified,” the FMARD stated.
In order to prevent interaction with unwell or dead animals and their products, the ministry urged all livestock owners to exercise caution and immediately report any suspicious illnesses or deaths in their animals.
It advised owners of livestock to use caution while purchasing animals, including cows, camels, sheep, goats, and other livestock, from states in Nigeria that border Benin, Chad, and Niger, as well as from Ghana and Togo via waterways.
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