Nigerians have been advised to stop the consumption of hides (ponmo), smoked meat and bush meat which have been declared to be dangerous to human health at present. The alert was made by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in a statement signed by Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, following the outbreak of Anthrax in some countries within the West African sub-region. According to Umakhihe, following the development, Nigerians are strongly advised to desist from the consumption of ponmo, smoked meat and bush meat as they pose serious risk to health until the situation is brought under control. He disclosed that the outbreak was first recorded in northern Ghana bordering Burkina Faso and Togo, putting the whole sub-region at risk. The stament read in part: “The disease which has claimed some lives, is a bacterial disease that affects both animals and man, that is a zoonotic disease. Anthrax spores are naturally found in the soil and commonly affect domestic and wild animals. “People can get infected with Anthrax spores if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. However, Anthrax is not a contagious disease and so, one cannot get it by coming in close contact with an infected person. “Signs of anthrax 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.” The statement further warned the general public against closeness to non-vaccinated animals with Anthrax as it can easily be transmitted to man through the inhalation of Anthrax spores, including consumption of contaminated/ infected animal products, such as hides and skin, meat or milk.
