Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa is the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC. In this interview, Adetifa speaks on the case of anthrax discovered in a farm in Niger State, insisting that people should refrain from eating animal hides, also known as pomo, bush meat, and dead animals “you did not kill”.
We are worried about any case of anthrax; one case we have at the moment is an outbreak.
In this case, our colleagues in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development received word of ill animals and dead animals and went to investigate. Within 48 hours, a diagnosis of anthrax was made and immediate remedial action to ensure the safe disposal of the animals and products.
The process of recalling the product that was processed in the facility also started. We were notified to look after the human health aspect because this is a disease that crosses both the human and animal health divide. Therefore, we are taking a one-health approach to the response.
