The Nigerian Government on Monday, July 17 confirmed the first case of Anthrax in Nigeria, revealing that the deadly disease was detected in a farm in Niger State.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that on 14th of July, 2023; the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria was notified of animals manifesting symptoms of a suspected case of anthrax in a farm in Suleja, Niger State. It added that some of the animals had symptoms including oozing of blood from their body openings – anus, nose, eyes and ears.

The Ministry urged Nigerians to immediately report cases of animals bleeding from body openings to veterinary authorities, or agriculture extension workers.

Last month, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development alerted the general public about the outbreak of Anthrax in neighbouring countries within the West African sub-region, specifically in Northern Ghana bordering Burkina Faso and Togo. 

The Ministry harped on the need to intensify animal vaccinations along the border states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, due to their proximity to Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ghana. Other states in Nigeria were also advised to partake in the vaccination exercise.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian House of assembly on Tuesday July 18 urged the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to commence an awareness campaign programme to curtail the outbreak of Anthrax.

Anthrax, a potentially fatal infection and highly contagious disease, in 1979 killed at least 64 people in Sverdlovsk, USSR.  In 2016, an outbreak of Anthrax killed thousands of reindeer and affected dozens of humans on the Yamal peninsula, Northwest Siberia.

Here are 13 important things you should know about how anthrax affects animals and humans:

1. Anthrax is a disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus Anthracis. Anthrax spores in the soil are very resistant and can cause disease when ingested even years after an outbreak. It can affect both humans and domestic and wild animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, antelope, and deer.

2. Anthrax is spread when its spores are inhaled, ingested, or come into contact with skin lesions. The spores can survive for decades or even centuries.They are found on infected animal carcasses, wool, hair and hides.

3. Human infection may occur by three routes of exposure to anthrax spores: cutaneous (through the skin), gastrointestinal (by ingestion), and pulmonary (inhalation). Cutaneous infection is the most common manifestation of anthrax in humans, accounting for more than 95% of cases. Ingestion of undercooked or raw, infected meat can cause gastrointestinal anthrax infection. Breathing in airborne spores may lead to inhalation anthrax.

4. Signs of Anthrax in humans are flu-like symptoms such as cough, fever, muscle aches and if not diagnosed and treated early, lead to pneumonia, severe lung problems, difficulty in breathing, shock and death.

5. If animals have anthrax, symptoms such as high temperature, shivering or twitching, harsh dry cough, blood in dung or in nostrils, decrease or complete loss of milk fits, bright staring eyes, colicky pains and dejection and loss of appetite may be noticed. The blood of an animal with anthrax does not clot on slaughter. Also, at slaughter, marked bloating and quick decay can be noticed.

6. Anthrax is a preventable disease by vaccines and can be treated with antibiotics, however specific control procedures on carcasses disposal are necessary to contain the disease and prevent its spread. Four antibiotics are used to treat anthrax: doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and parenteral procaine penicillin.

7. Infected dead animals should be buried deep into the soil along with equipment used in the burial after applying chemicals that will kill the Anthrax spores.

8. People who consume animals (cattle, sheep, and goats) that were found dead, healthcare workers, diagnostic laboratory workers, and caregivers who are exposed to patients or their biological specimens are at risk of contracting anthrax.

9. Law enforcement officers (Police, Military, Immigration, Customs, Point of Entry Personnel) and anyone traveling to a location with a confirmed anthrax case within and outside Nigeria are at risk of contracting anthrax.

10. People should avoid contact with meat/bush meat or animal by-products such as skin, hides (ponmo), and milk of a sick or dead animal.

11. Anthrax was used as a weapon in the attacks of October 2001, which involved sending a contaminated mail to spread anthrax spores. 22 persons were diagnosed with anthrax and five persons died.

12. The disease is rare in the United States, but common in many countries located in Central America and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and Southwestern Asia, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe, and the Caribbean.

13. Please contact the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in any suspected case of Anthrax around you.