Fear Grips Plateau Residents over Suspected Cases of Anthrax

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

There was panic in some parts of Plateau State yesterday over the reported cases of Anthrax, a serious infectious disease caused by gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria.

While the Government of Plateau State acknowledged two suspected cases that had been taken to the laboratory, it called on the people to report any strange illness to the authorities for speedy action.

This was contained in a statement the Director of Press Affairs, Office of the Governor, Gyang Bere issued on behalf of the state government yesterday, saying reports being circulated on the social media “are far from the truth.”

In its statement, the state government said: “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no such incident in any part of Mangu Local Government Area.

The statement, thus, said the government advised the general public, particularly members of the said communities “to disregard the misleading reports.”

The statement assured Plateau people that a team of epidemiologists has been sent to the affected communities on the instruction of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang to ascertain the truth of the story to prevent loss of lives.

It, however, said: “There are two suspected cases of anthrax in two communities in the state. The samples have been taken to National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom for thorough assessment and further investigation.

“While waiting for the outcome, the ggovernment would like to make it clear that there was no mass death of 1,000 cows in the mentioned areas as reported in the story.

“It is instructive to note that the risk of contracting human cases of anthrax increases with exposure to infected animals, their meat, or hides.”

He said the state government has since directed the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Veterinary Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture to address the issues with every sense of urgency, as members of the public are advised to observe safety measures to avoid contracting the disease.

The measures include avoiding contact with infected livestock and animal skins as much as possible; shun eating meat that has not been properly cooked, and quickly call the attention of the authorities when there is suspicion of a sick animal or persons.”

The statement, therefore, admonished people from the communities “to go about their normal activities and report any strange signs or any unusual activities for swift intervention by the relevant authorities.”