Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of 50,000 free doses of Anthrax vaccines to livestock farmers in Niger State in order to ensure safety of livestock as well as prevent the spread of the disease to unaffected animals and human.
According to a statement signed Wednesday by Chief Information Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Eremah Anthonia, quoted the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, as saying the vaccines have been given to the State for the commencement of mass vaccination of all livestock within 12 kilometres radius of the farm where the disease was first diagnosed.
The Permanent Secretary, who was presented by the Deputy Director Veterinary and Pests Control Services, Dr. Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, said the government was also planning to carry out free anthrax vaccination campaign on other states.
According to him, “We have also placed restrictions of movement on animals within the farm where the outbreak occurred for the next 20 days from the date of the onset of the outbreak.
“This is to ensure that if these animals are infected, they do not infect other animals around them, the farm, its equipment and surroundings will also be thoroughly disinfected while the Ministry will also mount surveillance in slaughter slabs, abattoirs and livestock market around the farm and similar locations in the country to detect the disease early before it spread”, he added.
In his remarks, the Emir of Suleja, His Royal Highness, Mallam Muhammad Awwal commended the FG for its prompt response noting that the outbreak of the disease in his domain came to him as a shock.
While assuring of his readiness to collaborate with the government to curtail the disease, the Emir urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the State government pointing out that without synergy among the stakeholders nothing can be achieved.
