The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Monday, confirmed a case of anthrax in the country. The Chief Veterinary Officer of the Ministry, Dr. Columba T. Vakuru, said that animals showing signs of a possible case of anthrax on a farm in Suleja, Niger State were reported to the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria on July 14, 2023.
Vakuru said a case was in a multi-specie animal farm comprising of cattle, sheep and goats located at Gajiri, along Abuja-Kaduna express way Suleja LGA of Niger State, as some of the animals showed symptoms including oozing of blood from their anus, nose, eyes and ears.
“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.”
Recall that the Federal Government had issued warning reporting anthrax outbreak in Northern Ghana where all infected animals had died.
Anthrax is a disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus, though mostly affects livestock like cattle, sheep, and goats but can also infect people who come into contact with infected people or contaminated animal products like meat, wool, or skins.
Anthrax spreads in the skin through open wounds or contact with contaminated objects, and also spreads through air when spores are inhaled.
According to the statement, Nigerians are enjoined to “immediately report cases of animals bleeding from body openings to veterinary authorities, or agriculture extension workers.”
“The blood of an anthrax-infected animal does not clot. Do not process or move the dead or sick animal, quickly report to your veterinary doctor or veterinary authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture in your State”.
