Ebola: Lagos vet doctors roll out preventive measures

In a statement signed and issued by the association’s General Secretary, Dr Mobolaji Alao in Lagos, the veterinarians said the decision to roll out their position on preventive measures was in keeping with the “one world, one health policy drive of the World Health Organization (WHO)”.“The purpose therefore is to present a strictly veterinary perspective […]

In a statement signed and issued by the association’s General Secretary, Dr Mobolaji Alao in Lagos, the veterinarians said the decision to roll out their position on preventive measures was in keeping with the “one world, one health policy drive of the World Health Organization (WHO)”.
“The purpose therefore is to present a strictly veterinary perspective to an infectious, contagious disease of marked zoonotic importance. It is not an attempt to flog a dead horse, or replace the health ministry’s effort, but to complement it, by attacking the menace from all feasible angles for a comprehensive control,” a part of the statement read.
According to the vet doctors, it is quite unfortunate that in the last 15 years, the world has had to battle with global pandemics that have been of zoonotic (disease transmissible from animals to human and vice versa) importance, such as: the avian flu (H5N1), swine flu (H1N1), mad cow disease (jakob’s disease) and the Ebola virus  with its deadliest outbreak.
The statement noted that there are five known strains of Ebola virus with varying degrees of pathogenicity and predilection. Of these the Zaire Ebola virus is the most virulent, and the Reston Ebola is no pathogenic to man.
“In general, human outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is preceded by a sudden decrease in wild animal populations. It is therefore important that such observations be reported promptly to the district veterinary officer, as this can be an indicator to its presence and prevent human mortality altogether. Keen observation in this regard will also go a long way to preventing other serious zoonotic diseases like bubonic plague.
“Fruit bat has been long considered to be a reservoir host for the virus. To this end, it is important to keep domestic pets screened especially at night in environments that are known to have significant bat populations or areas that serve as migratory routes for bats,” the statement said.