Federal Government says it has confirmed the first case of anthrax in Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) confirmed this in a statement yesterday, adding that the case occurred on a farm in the Suleja area of Niger State.
According to the statement, a Rapid Response team comprising federal and state Health Professional workers have visited the farm to conduct preliminary investigations while they also collected samples from the sick animals.
On his part, The Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe said that Anthrax which has claimed some lives, is a bacterial disease that affects both animals and man which in turn makes it zoonotic.
He explained that people can get infected with anthrax spores if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
Dr. Umakhihe, however, said that anthrax is not a contagious disease, noting that the disease responds to treatment with antibiotics and supportive therapy.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government had in June raised an alarm over the outbreak of the disease in West Africa, advising Nigerians to desist from the consumption of hides, otherwise known as “ponmo”, pending when the disease is contained.