FG initiates targeted, risk-based surveillance on anthrax

The federal government says it will not wait for an outbreak of anthrax in the country before taking preventive measures. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, said it was initiating a targeted, risk-based surveillance to prevent any outbreak. The director of the department, Dr […]

The federal government says it will not wait for an outbreak of anthrax in the country before taking preventive measures.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, said it was initiating a targeted, risk-based surveillance to prevent any outbreak.

The director of the department, Dr Olaniran Alabi, who stated this during an interview with Daily Trust a few days ago added that the ministry would begin implementation of the measures in the next phase of the surveillance system.

“We would, even without clinical suspicion, go and take randomly, samples from animals that are sick that we suspect along those frontlines states especially in the livestock markets.  Then we send those samples to the lab for analysis,” he said.

The frontline states include Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno covering 1,608km in length, and the towns in the Republic of Niger that share border with Nigerian states that include Tillabéri, Dosso, Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Diffa. These towns share livestock markets.

Explaining the action government has taken so far, Dr Alabi stated that “immediately we got information from Niger Republic, we alerted all our frontline states and all the directors of veterinary services in the states.

“We asked them to strengthen the surveillance system and look out for any suspicion; and that sick or sudden death among animal population should be reported immediately to the nearest veterinary service office for necessary action.”

He said all the frontline states are on red alert, adding that the federal government asked them to put up a response team to deal swiftly with any suspicion.

“We know all the high-risk locations, where it may likely happen especially in the livestock markets along the borders where you have aggregation of animals coming together, so we are on the lookout.

“Even among the trans-human, we have stepped up public enlightenment so that when there is any death among the animals they can report immediately,” Dr Alabi also stated.

At the moment, he said, the country’s surveillance system is up and running, adding that the federal government has not gotten any other report apart from the initial one from Nigerien authorities.

Despite that, he said, “we are not lowering our surveillance, we are on the lookout.”