Nigeria is preparing to halt the spread of anthrax, following reports of cases at a livestock farm to the north-west of the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The agricultural ministry confirmed the outbreak after disease symptoms were found at a farm in Gajiri, Niger state, near the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
50,000 doses of the anthrax vaccine have been delivered to the farm, which is home to cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry.
Livestock animals are primarily impacted by anthrax. When people come into contact with infected animals or consume their products, they risk becoming infected as well.
It is brought on by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which mainly survives as spores and hides in soil for many years before infecting an animal through a cut or wound.
Symptoms of anthrax in animals include sudden death and bleeding from the mouth, nose, and anal region.
Farmers, owners of livestock, and members of the public are urged by the government to exercise caution and report any additional suspected cases.
Furthermore, it advised farmers to abstain from butchering sick animals because doing so might expose people to anthrax spores.
Antibiotics are effective in treating anthrax, but treatment must begin quickly after infection. There have been no reports of human exposure so far.
Many communities, mostly in northern Nigeria, rely on raising livestock and herding animals for their subsistence, providing meat to the rest of the nation.
Source-BBC
