UN partnership Nigerian govt to control Anthrax outbreak

Following the report of two recently confirmed cases of Anthrax in Lagos State, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) have strengthened their partnership to check and control the spread of the disease in the country.

Recall that on 13 July, a suspected case of Anthrax was reported in a mixed farm at Sabon Wuse, Niger State and a rapid response team was deployed by the Federal Government to collect samples which was sent to National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom Plateau state for confirmation.

Consequently, FMARD announced the Government’s plan to intervene to control the possible spread.

The Director Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services (FDVPCS) in FMARD Dr. Columba Vakuru said that the strategy of interventions includes quarantining the affected farm, ringing vaccination of susceptible animals around the infected farm, educating farm workers using the One-health approach, and planning statewide vaccination of susceptible animals”.

To this effect, FAO Nigeria through the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) was requested to provide the technical and financial support to the intervention strategy, particularly on logistics to the start-off of the risk-based nation-wide vaccination against Anthrax.

Also at the request of FMARD, a nation-wide meeting with all Directors of Veterinary Services (DVS) from the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory will be convened to fashion a comprehensive response to prevent, detect and respond to further spread of Anthrax to other parts of the country.

The FAO ECTAD Country Team Leader Dr. Otto Vianney Muhinda said that “the partnership is to be enhanced within the context of the One Health approach, and efforts would be sustained using a strong team of frontline experts, to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the country”.

He said that “With the support of USAID, we are pursuing our efforts to mobilize human and financial resources including the Directors of Veterinary Services from the 36 States and FCT Abuja, to discuss the ongoing Anthrax outbreak, more importantly, to evaluate the preparedness of the States vis-à-vis the implementation of strategies to prevent the spread of the disease into the country as well as put in place control measures”.

The consultative meeting with DVSs from the states would discuss risk assessment and survey, conduct of mass nationwide vaccination of animals (cattle, sheep and goats) against Anthrax, refresher training for epidemiology officers and training of livestock professionals, farmers, butchers and traders on biosecurity measures.

The joint field mission to Sabon Wuse was conducted by the ECTAD, FDVPCS and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), where a quick risk assessment was conducted, one week after the first animal died of the disease. Vaccinations have been carried out and other risk communication initiatives were deployed to avoid the spread to other farms and/or neighboring communities within 15 kilometers radius.