UN partnership Nigerian govt to control Anthrax outbreak

<p>Following the report of two recently confirmed cases of Anthrax in Lagos State, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) have strengthened their partnership to check and control the spread of the disease in the country.</p>, <p>Recall that on 13 July, a suspected case of Anthrax was reported in a mixed farm at Sabon Wuse, Niger State and a rapid response team was deployed by the Federal Government to collect samples which was sent to National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom Plateau state for confirmation.</p>, <p>Consequently, FMARD announced the Government’s plan to intervene to control the possible spread.</p>, <p>The Director Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services (FDVPCS) in FMARD Dr. Columba Vakuru said that the strategy of interventions includes quarantining the affected farm, ringing vaccination of susceptible animals around the infected farm, educating farm workers using the One-health approach, and planning statewide vaccination of susceptible animals”.</p>, <p>To this effect, FAO Nigeria through the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) was requested to provide the technical and financial support to the intervention strategy, particularly on logistics to the start-off of the risk-based nation-wide vaccination against Anthrax.</p>, <p>Also at the request of FMARD, a nation-wide meeting with all Directors of Veterinary Services (DVS) from the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory will be convened to fashion a comprehensive response to prevent, detect and respond to further spread of Anthrax to other parts of the country.</p>, <p>The FAO ECTAD Country Team Leader Dr. Otto Vianney Muhinda said that “the partnership is to be enhanced within the context of the One Health approach, and efforts would be sustained using a strong team of frontline experts, to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the country”.</p>, <p>He said that “With the support of U