Osun govt charges butchers on the need to prevent anthrax disease

From Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
The Osun State government has charged all the cattle butchers and dealers in the state on the need to keep their enviroment clean in order to prevent Anthrax disease.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon.Adedayo Adewole stated this in a one-day seminar organised for the Association of Cattle Butchers and Dealers in Osogbo, the state capital.
Adedayo, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Mrs Abosede Olatokun, urged the participants to adhere strictly to the law of hygiene that will prevent them from contacting any disease.
Olatokun, stressed that the outbreak of Charcoal Anthrax disease was reported to have emanated from the sheep and cattle in the Republic of Niger where cattle dealers do import their cattle for sale in the country.
She also gave the hint that, this disease is a communicable one that can spread fast once they eat or smell the affected animal.
She also stressed that the cattle dealers should be vigilant and immediately report any incident of dead animal that blood gushes out of its mouth, eyes and nose at the department of veterinary services, Ministry of Agriculture and also be wary of touching such animal as prevention is better than cure.
Speaking earlier at the seminar, the representative of the department of the federal veterinary services in the state, Dr Bisong, stressed that the disease occurs directly or indirectly through contact with infected animals and once humans eat such animals, they would have stomach upset.
He stated some signs and symptoms of anthrax diseases such as blood gushing out from the eyes, mouth and nose after the death of the affected animal.
He used the medium to advise the cattle dealers not to buy cheap or sick cattle or sheep so that they would not be victims of the disease and to publicize the outbreak of the disease.
In his response, one of the members of the cattle dealers association, Mr Fatai Olayiwola, urged the government to put the necessary machinery in place to cure this deadly disease through adequate vaccine, so that it will not affect their source of income.