From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Government has flagged off state-wide mass anthrax vaccination on cows, goats and related domestic animals.
Speaking during the flag off at the Demonstration Farm of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, said the vaccination campaign was necessitated by the recently reported outbreak of anthrax in Nasarawa State.
“Following the recent confirmation outbreak of anthrax in cattle in Nasarawa State and its tendency to spread to other parts of Nigeria including Abia State through trans-boundary movement of livestock/trade animals, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex C Otti, has given approval for state-wide mass vaccination of susceptible livestock species such as cattle, sheep, and goats in the state.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ijeoma Adanma Aguwa, Dr. Agbaeze stated that it was imperative to note that anthrax is a bacterial disease of economic and public health importance with Zoonotic effect on animals mostly cattle, sheep and goat as well as humans.
By the vaccination campaign, the commissioner noted that the state was activating its rapid-response mechanisms and initiating proactive measures towards the mitigation of the occurrence and spread of the disease.
“It is important to note that the essence of the vaccination campaign is not necessarily to eradicate anthrax, but to mitigate the occurrence and spread of the disease in Abia State with a view to protecting animal health and boost livestock productivity in the value chain.”
The commissioner said the exercise was also aimed at safeguarding animal- to-human transmission of the disease as anthrax, according to him, poses a serious threat to both animals and humans.
He urged animal owners and livestock farmers to embrace the opportunity presented by the campaign and present their animals for vaccination, adding that a team of veterinary professionals from the Ministry had been deployed to all the local government areas of the state to carry out the vaccination exercise in ruminants.
The vaccination, which he said was for free, would last till April 3; he solicited for the support of local government mayors, traditional rulers and community leaders to help disseminate information on the exercise.
The Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, Professor Ogbu, Cosmos
Chimezie, commended the Ministry of Agriculture in collaborating with MOUAU for the exercise.
He said the College would soon start a post graduate programme in Veterinary Medicine and urged the staff of the Ministry to avail themselves of such opportunity.