The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, officially confirmed the first case of anthrax in the country on Monday.

A statement signed by the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Columba Vakuru, said animals showing signs of a possible case of anthrax on a farm in Suleja, Niger State, were reported on July 14, 2023.

The statement reads in part, “The case was in a multi-species animal farm comprising cattle, sheep, and goats located at Gajiri, along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Suleja Local Government Area, Niger State, where some of the animals had symptoms, including oozing of blood from their body openings—anus, nose, eyes, and ears.”

Anthrax outbreaks are fairly common worldwide and mostly affect agricultural workers.

Humans become sick with the disease by handling animal products such as wool, hide, or bone from animals infected with the anthrax bacterium.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said the anthrax outbreak in Ghana poses a great public health risk to Nigeria due to the dangerous and highly transmissible nature.

The agency stated this in a joint public health advisory signed by its director general, Ifedayo Adetifa, and the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria.

It warned Nigerians against non-essential travel to the northern region of Ghana, especially the Upper East Region, where the outbreak was reported.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those with pulmonary anthrax are at risk of respiratory collapse and suffer the highest mortality rate of any anthrax victims, with 92 per cent of cases resulting in death.

The CDC said the third form of the disease, gastrointestinal anthrax, can occur when a person consumes the meat of an anthrax-infected animal.

The U.S. was hit by an anthrax scare in September 2001 after letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices and politicians, killing five and infecting 17 others.

Meanwhile, in October 2014, an outbreak of gastrointestinal and skin anthrax in a village in Jharkhand, India, reportedly killed seven people, and in July 2016, nearly 100 people from nomadic communities in northern Siberia were hospitalised with the disease.

Recently, the Canadian authorities said they were investigating a suspected outbreak among bison in the Northwest Territories.

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The bacteria live in the soil and usually infect wild and domestic animals, such as goats, cattle, and sheep.

(NAN)