Anthrax Outbreak: No cause for alarm, situation under control – Veterinary Officer

Dr. Emmanuel Kwao Pecku, Metropolitan Veterinary Officer for Tema and Kpone Katamanso, says the Veterinary Service has contained the spread of the anthrax disease.

He, however, admonished the public to report any “suspicious” condition or death they identified in livestock to the nearest veterinary service outfit.

Dr Pecku said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the spread of the disease ahead of tomorrow’s Eid-ul-Adha celebrations.

He said the Service had undertaken inspections of livestock on the market and assured them of their safety.

“I am just coming from one of such markets in Tema here and I can assure you that the animals are safe after conducting our inspections. From what I am seeing now, I can say they are safe,” he added.

Dr Pecku, on the contrary, did not downplay any instance of spread or infection since some of the livestock were coming from nearby countries.

He commended the security services for their continuous checks on livestock to ensure they had movement permits.

Talensi and Binduri in the Upper East Region in May 2023, recorded cases of Anthrax, which led to the death of 20 sheep and four cattle, with several others infected.

One person is reported dead after consuming meat from an infected animal.

To deal with the outbreak, the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council had imposed a region-wide one-month prohibition on the transportation of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, and their byproducts to curtail the spread of the disease.

Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis bacteria and affects both humans and animals.

People who come into direct contact with infected livestock, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, or their by-products, run the danger of contracting Anthrax.

Eid-Ul-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice is the second and the largest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr).

It honours the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Ismail) as an act of obedience to God’s command. It is celebrated annually on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, on the Islamic calendar.

Muslims across the globe mark the day by sacrificing a goat, sheep, or battle.

The 2023 Eid-Ul-Adha celebration falls on June 28 and marks the culmination of the hajj (pilgrimage) rites at Minā, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca, but celebrated by Muslims throughout the world.