The Federal Government of Nigeria on Monday confirmed the first case of Anthrax in the country after revealing that the disease was detected in a farm in Niger State.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development who made this revelation in a statement, pointed out that it ‘is deeply concerned to announce the confirmation of an anthrax case in Niger State, Nigeria.’
It added that ‘On 14th of July, 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 LGA Niger State, where some of the animals had symptoms including oozing of blood from their body openings – anus, nose, eyes and ears.
‘A Rapid Response team comprising of federal and state One Health Professional Team visited the farm to conduct preliminary investigations and collected samples from the sick animals.’
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‘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.’
According to the statement which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York, all the affected animals have died.
The Ministry had a few weeks ago communicated the risk of incursion of Anthrax into the country, following confirmed outbreaks in Ghana and other countries in West Africa.
Anthrax is a major zoonotic disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which primarily affects animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats but can also infect humans, who come into direct contact with infected animals or consume contaminated animal products.
The clinical signs of Anthrax in animals include sudden death and blood oozing from natural body openings (nose, ear, mouth and anal region).
The spores of anthrax can persist for decades in a contaminated environment.
The Federal Government said it has through the Ministry and in collaboration with the Niger state government, taken proactive measures to timely control and contain the disease.
These include placing the affected farm under quarantine; distributing 50,000 doses of anthrax vaccine for ring vaccination of animal species that are susceptible to the disease around the affected farm; and educating the farm workers using a One-health approach on the symptoms, preventive measures, and what to do when they notice any signs of the disease.
The strategy for statewide anthrax vaccination of susceptible animals has also been finalized. Passive monitoring actions in livestock farms, markets, and abattoirs have also been intensified. Targeted public awareness campaigns about anthrax have also been stepped up.
Also, the Ministry urged all livestock owners to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicion of illness or deaths on their farms; avoid contact with sick or dead animals and their products and avoid slaughtering sick animals as slaughtering of sick animals can expose people to anthrax spores.
Livestock owners are also advised to avoid contact with wild animals and products such as ‘bush’ meat, report any incidence of the sudden death of animals to the nearest veterinary authorities, use personal protective equipment (gloves, facemasks, goggles, boots) when handling sick animals or dead animals, practice suitable biosecurity measures and dispose of all cases of animals in an environmentally friendly manner and in consultation with veterinarians, environmental and public health officers.