FCTA flags off mass vaccination of cattle against Anthrax

The Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) yesterday began a mass vaccination of cattle to curb the spread of Anthrax in the FCT.

The acting Secretary of the secretariat, Alhaji Ishaq Sadeeq, kicked off the exercise in Patkon Kore Grazing Reserve of Gwagwalada Area Council.

This happened as the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) urged the Federal Government to declare state of emergency in the animal health sector to nip anthrax and other zoonotic diseases in the bud.

NVMA’s National President Dr. Olutoyin Adetuberu said this in reaction to the outbreak of anthrax in northern Ghana bordering Burkina Faso, Togo and Niger states.

She also cautioned Nigerians to desist from consuming dark coloured meat, saying this is the colour that shows the animal may have been infected by the deadly disease.

Sadeeq said the mass vaccination was targeted at least one million cattle across the six area councils of the FCT, adding that the move followed the confirmation of the disease in Suleja, Niger State, one of the neighboring states of the FCT.

He thanked the Permanent Secretary in the FCTA, Mr. Olusade Adesola, for approving the purchase of one million doses of the vaccine, which scientists have identified as the most effective ways of preventing the disease.

Adetuberu, who spoke on a Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) programme, explained that anthrax is a disease caused by a bacterium, which is resistant to environmental conditions.

The NVMA national president said the symptoms of anthrax may appear as cholera on humans but it will eventually lead to death if not treated.

“We have symptoms in animals and also in humans. The symptoms in animals are that you will see the animal die suddenly, and you will see un-clotted blood oozing out of the natural orifices (nose, mouth, anus, ears).

“So, once you begin to see sudden deaths and many deaths in cattle, sheep and goat; and in the wild, you have antelopes also being affected. Those are the symptoms on animals.

“When you come to human beings, you have spores developing on the skin. Then, we have the gastric form in which case the person will be having diarrhea. You can mistake it for cholera.

“Then, you also have the respiratory form, which is the one that comes in through the inhalation of the spores. That is when you will have fever, cold, muscle pain, and the patient will cough with serious chest pain, which will lead to death.

“We can avoid not eating contaminated meat by buying meat from vendors whose meat has been properly inspected and certified by the veterinary doctor. There is a need for veterinary doctors to certify meat in every abattoir. We want the government to employ the manpower to man our abattoirs or else we will be putting the populace at risk.

“When you are buying meat, don’t buy meat that has blood all around it. Don’t buy meat that is dark coloured because it shows that the animal was moribund before it was killed. And you have to be careful where you buy your meat from so that you don’t get infected with the disease,” she said.

Adetuberu specifically advised the government to vaccinate animals in the 17 border-states of anthrax outbreak: Adamawa, Borno, Taraba (in the Northeast); Niger (in the Northcentral), Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti (in the Southwest), Ebonyi and Cross River (in the Southsouth) bordering Cameroon.

She said the adjoining states bordering Niger Republic where vaccination should be carried out are Plateau, Gombe, Bauch and Sokoto.

“If you want to protect lives and property, which is the primary responsibility of government, you must employ veterinary doctors for disease detection, prevention and control,” she said.

Also, the Chairman of the FCT chapter of NVMA, Dr. Ifeanyi Ogbu, urged the government to set up veterinary clinics at local government levels and employ veterinary doctors to fill the clinics for easier accessibility and affordability of veterinary services.

The Director of Veterinary Services in FCTA, Dr. Regina Adulugba, described Anthrax as a “fatal disease” to both animals and humans, adding that it could be contracted through open wounds, airborne and from consuming infected animals.

Also the Chairman of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the FCT, Malam Yahaya Isa, hailed the FCTA for its proactive step.

Isa, who is also the Deputy National Secretary of the association, said the move would not only protect livestock against the disease but would also save investment and human lives.