Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have reiterated commitment to enforce biosecurity measures at cattle markets and abattoirs to curb the spread of Anthrax disease.
The stakeholders made their views known in separate interviews in Lagos.
Anthrax is an infection caused by the spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus anthracis. It typically affects ruminants such as cows, sheep, and goats.
On July 13, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Food and Agriculture Organisation first reported the suspected case of Anthrax in a mixed farm at Sabon Wuse, Niger.
Also, the Lagos State government confirmed six animals were infected by the disease in late July.
In his contribution, Dr Emeka Asiegbu, Director, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, restated the commitment of the government to ensure enforcement of biosecurity measures against spread of the disease.
“The Federal Government came as a team to Lagos after the discovery of Anthrax in the state. We will always assist the state to continue actions to prevent the spread of the disease.
“Some of the things we did is to sensitise the cattle merchants and butchers at the abattoirs, so that the resident vet doctors in Lagos State will continue where we stopped.
“The resident vet doctors will continue to educate and enforce biosecurity measures at the abattoirs and cattle markets.
“The doctors will ensure that the right thing is done but they also noticed that most of the livestock dealers, butchers and farmers are interested in curtailing the outbreak,” he said.
Asiegbu further said that butchers and livestock dealers were doing everything possible to ensure compliance to biosecurity measures.
“We have observed that they comply with the instructions and also, a mass vaccination is ongoing. Most of the dealers are willing to bring out their animals for vaccination which is a good way to curb the disease.
“We will continue to monitor compliance across the country, we had meeting with all Directors of Veterinary Services of the 36 states last week in Abuja, for enforcement of biosecurity measures against the disease.
“The monitoring is ongoing and will last for five years to ensure the disease is eradicated. Definitely, there will be another call to Lagos and Niger states,” he said.
Alhaji Usman Maikudi, Spokesperson of Miyetti Allah Cattle Dealers Association, Oko-Oba, Agege Cattle Market, said the merchants were fully in compliance with the directives from the vet doctors.
According to him, the Lagos State veterinary doctors are always available to check the animals on arrival at the market and before they are slaughter.
“We have begun vaccination of our animals but not all of them have been vaccinated. The state veterinary doctors are here daily to monitor our activities and ensure we comply with biosecurity measures at the market.
“We hope that they continue the momentum of the vaccination as at the beginning.
“We have all our animals on close watch for symptoms of the Anthrax and if we notice anything we will inform the doctors immediately,’’ Maikudi said.
However, Mr Ismail Olawale, a fellow of the National Agriculture Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), called for a policy framework to prevent spread of the disease.
Olawale said that as an extension service agency, it had a lot of information and packages in respect of Anthrax with the FMARD.
“FMARD or the vet doctors cannot be all over the cattle markets and abattoirs; hence, the need to collaborate with NEARLS or the National Animal Production Research Institute and develop a regulatory framework against spread of Anthrax.
“We may have the policy on ground but we need a framework that we can send to state governments, to ensure compliance with biosecurity measures at all abattoirs.
“We need to revolutionise abattoirs across the country, abattoirs are now being used for many activities. The problem of regulating what goes on in abattoirs should be the first thing that FMARD should mandate the states to do.
“The enforcement framework will include some of the things the states should do. First of all clean up the abattoirs and to make them do what they are built for,’’ he said.
Olawale said that such steps would help to reduce transmission of the disease, movement of uncensored people, uncensored officials and unregulated traders.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organisation, recently donated 50,000 doses of Anthrax vaccines to Niger and Lagos States.
