Dr. Jolaoso Adetunji, a veterinary public health expert, has cautioned butchers against hastily butchering sick or deceased animals to stop the spread of anthrax throughout the nation.
At a workshop on the detection, prevention, and control of zoonotic illnesses and others for players in the livestock business conducted in Lagos on Wednesday, Adetunji addressed a variety of animal market professionals.
“What makes anthrax special is that it is a special organism that stays in the soil and it can live in the soil for decades, it is covered by a shell that protects it. It stays in that shell until it finds an animal or human being to infect. Then when it infects the person, the consequences are very bad, especially when there is no urgent treatment.” he explained.
He further explained that “Anthrax is a very resistant organism. It can live in water for many years. The first thing is to understand the bacteria, break its cycle, and control it. Keep clean, don’t quickly slaughter dead animals because it happens in some abattoirs. When an animal is sick they rush to slaughter and sell to people. A lot of them might have anthrax and that is the major source.”
Following up with Dr. Adetunji’s explanation, The commissioner for Agriculture Abisola Olusanya emphasized that the ministry has been working closely through its monitoring and enforcement compliance unit, to make sure illegal Slaughter Houses are taken down from the business to caution illegal Slaughtering.
She explained that proper enforcement is needed with the ongoing force and Support from more officials to assist in curbing these acts.
“Anthrax is a very resistant organism; it can live in water for many years. The first thing is to understand the bacteria, break its cycle, and control it. Keep clean, don’t quickly slaughter dead animals because it happens in some abattoirs. When an animal is sick they rush to slaughter and sell to people. A lot of them might have anthrax and that is the major source.”
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, said the ministry, through its monitoring and enforcement compliant unit, had been going around and taking illegal slaughter houses out of the business as fight to caution Anthrax Continues.
“It is an ongoing exercise, the only thing is that we need more enforcement. We need more officials to help us curb this because as you are shutting one illegal slaughter slab before you wake up the next day, another one has sprung up.
It is more of a human capacity thing and we are also trying to get more people to come into this space to ensure we have the right enforcement in place,” she concluded