Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has donated 50,000 doses of anthrax vaccines to Lagos State government in a move to mitigate the spread of the disease among animals and humans.
The development was made known to journalists in a statement issued by the ministry’s assistant director of information, Ezeaja Ikemefuna in Abuja.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to state ministry of agriculture at the state secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos recently,
Permanent secretary in the ministry Dr Ernest Umakhihe said that donation of the vaccines would fast track vaccination of animals against anthrax disease and ensure that the butchers’ sales healthy meat as well as safeguard the livestock sub sector.
Represented by the deputy director, veterinary and pests control services, Dr Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, the permanent secretary stated that anthrax, an infectious zoonosis disease, caused by bacteria affects both domestic and wild animals and can also affect human especially those working closely with infected animals.
Umakhihe appealed to the state government for public awareness and sensitisation engagement among stakeholders towards prevention and control of the disease in Lagos State.
He said, ‘’the essence of our visit is to create awareness and sensitisation among stakeholders in the prevention and control of disease in Nigeria.
“We have also provided 50,000 free dosages of the Anthrax vaccine to the state in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the cattle merchants and butchers need to know the symptoms and signs of this disease so that they can immediately alert the veterinary authorities,” he said.
He emphasised the need to mount surveillance in slaughter slabs, abattoirs, livestock markets and at the point of entries in the state to detect the disease early before it spreads.
