Jos herders worry over anthrax

Animal rearers in Jos, the Plateau State capital, are worried over the recent discovery of an anthrax disease case in Niger State, saying the development should be given the seriousness it deserves.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had on Monday announced the discovery of a case of the disease in Niger State, a development that has sent shivers down the spine of animal rearers in the state.

On July 14 this year, the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria was notified of animals manifesting symptoms of suspected case of anthrax in a farm in Suleja, Niger State.

The case was in a multi-specie animal farm comprising cattle, sheep and goats located at Gajiri, along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, where some of the animals had symptoms, including oozing of blood from their body openings, such as anus, nose, eyes and ears. With the confirmation of the case, however, some animal rearers in Jos, who are aware of the disease, said the discovery of the case was a source of concern.

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Muhammad Rabiu, an animal rearer said, “I am aware of the disease, but I am worried about the confirmation of a case in Niger State because I rear cattle and sheep and I sleep with them. So I have to be worried. We are calling on government do something about it.”

Babangida Musa, another cattle rearer said, “The disease has been in existence. It is a disturbing development. We are doing our best to see that it doesn’t spread. We are calling on the government to do their own.”

Also, Malam Muhammad, a cattle rearer said, “When we heard about the discovery of a case of the disease in Niger State, we were worried. We are begging the government to tackle the problem before it spreads to other places. We pray that this disease will not spread to other states. We are calling on the federal government to do more to tackle the spread of the disease.”

While appreciating the government for rising to the occasion, the animal rearers, however, called for the provision of preventive measures to enable them handle the situation better.

With the quick action by the federal government to nip the spread of the disease in the bud, stakeholders, especially animal rearers, are hopeful that more could be done to arrest the disease in the country.