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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Executive Governor of Plateau State Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has disclosed the outbreak of a suspected cases of anthrax disease in the State and urged citizens of the state to be vigilant and embarked on safety measures to avoid further spread of the diseases.
The Governor through his Director of Press and Public Affairs Mr. Gyang Bere in a statement on Saturday directed the Epidemiology unit of the Ministry of Health and the Veterinary unit of the Ministry of Agriculture to address the issues with every sense of urgency.
He noted that sampled have so far been taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute Vom for thorough assessment and further investigation.
The Governor said while waiting for the outcome of the investigation,
members of the public are advised to observed and avoid contracting the anthrax disease and “Avoid contact with infected livestock and animal skins as much as possible. Avoid eating meat that has not been properly cooked.
“Quickly call the attention of the authorities when there is suspicion of a sick animal or persons.”
The state Government countered some media reports of a mass death of cattle in the state, “The attention of the Plateau State Government has been drawn to a story published in some national newspapers and trending on social media that over 1,000 cows died of a strange disease within a space of four days in some villages in the Mangu Local Government Area of the state.
“There was no mass death of 1,000 cows in the mentioned areas as reported in the story. There are only two suspected cases of anthrax disease in two communities in the state.
“The samples have been taken to National Veterinary Research Institute Vom for thorough assessment and further investigation.”
Governor Mutfwang advised that it is instructive for citizens of the state to note that “the risk of contracting human cases of anthrax increases with exposure to infected animals, their meat, or hides.”
He called on people of the mentioned communities to go about their normal activities and report any “strange signs or any unusual activities for swift intervention by the relevant authorities,” respectively.
