Another clear reminder of Nigeria’s persistent public health issues is the recent anthrax epidemic that was discovered in a farm in Zamfara State.
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development confirmed the outbreak and urged more awareness and preventative actions to reduce illness risks. Prior to this, Nigeria reported the disease’s first case in recent memory in July 2023. On a mixed livestock farm in Niger State, the case was verified.
A single anthrax case is considered an epidemic that requires prompt attention and a coordinated response, even though specifics of the most recent outbreak are still being worked out. The resurgence of anthrax undoubtedly presents a risk to public health and highlights the necessity of a coordinated strategy for illness prevention and control.
Acute, bacterial, and naturally occurring, anthrax is a disease that human’s contract through contact with herbivores. Usually affecting both domestic and wild animals, including sheep, goats, and cattle, it is brought on by the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Handling animal materials like wool, hide, or bone from animals infected with the anthrax bacterium can cause humans to contract the disease. Farmers, veterinarians, and butchers are among the persons who are most at danger, even though anthrax epidemics are pretty typical among agricultural workers.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WAHO) lists anthrax as a disease with high mortality in cattle and wildlife, a cause of secondary human infections, and a security risk. It is generally thought to be underreported and ignored. Another animal sickness that crosses borders is anthrax.
Anthrax has been one of the top five zoonotic illnesses in Nigeria for the past ten or so years. Anthrax was rated as a high-risk disease with an integer of 6.25 out of 16 and a poor general preparedness level (1.5 out of 5) for an outbreak of the disease in Africa, according to a 2022 risk ranking and prioritization of epidemic-prone diseases carried out by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although anthrax is typically not spread from animal to animal or from person to person, human infection can still be dangerous. For this reason, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) must take prompt action. The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) and the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) ought to increase testing and surveillance right away.
Tracking the disease’s transmission and ensuring prompt intervention need ongoing surveillance and monitoring of both human cases and animal populations. Adequate vaccination of vulnerable animal populations will lower the danger of transmission to humans because the disease is zoonotic and preventable by vaccination. Educating the public on the clinical manifestations of anthrax in livestock would also help people recognize its symptoms and avoid handling, processing, or buying animals that exhibit any symptoms.
To make sure the disease doesn’t spread and become endemic in Nigeria, positive behavioural changes are required. The emergency operations centre should be revived by the national Anthrax Technical Working Group, which was established years ago, in order to function as a national coordination mechanism.
The recent outbreak is a clear reminder of how crucial readiness, and a strong public health system are. Nigeria has the potential to improve its ability to respond to future disease outbreaks and safeguard the health and welfare of its people.