The Kaduna State Government Tuesday, urged stakeholders in livestock value chain to be on red alert following a reported outbreak of a deadly disease, Charcoal Anthrax in neighbouring Niger Republic.
A government statement issued by Hajiya Halima Lawal, the State Commissioner for Agriculture in Kaduna, urged livestock owners, farmers, butchers, dealers, transporters and veterinarians to be at alert to symptoms of the disease among livestock.
Lawal said in the statement she personally signed:
“Recent reports from the Republic of Niger as confirmed by the World Organisation for Animal Health have alerted the world to a recent outbreak of Charcoal Anthrax in the Tillabery region of that country.
“Charcoal Anthrax is a deadly bacterial disease that affects animals and humans and can be fatal. The bacteria can survive in the soil for many years and animals are infected when they graze in affected areas.
“The disease is characterised by sudden deaths in a livestock population with the carcass bloating and oozing blood that does not clot through the body openings.
“The carcass does not stiffen following death. In some cases, the disease manifests as a scratch that can spread throughout the body.
“The animal later shows difficulty in breathing. On slaughter, the blood of affected animals turns black immediately after let-down and hence the name charcoal anthrax,” she explained.
According to Lawal, government is conscious of the fact that though Kaduna State did not share borders with Niger Republic.
