A total of 97 animals have died as a result of anthrax in the Upper East Region.
Twelve out of the 15 districts in the region recorded dead animal cases suspected to be anthrax as of yesterday.
District statistics
The Binduri District dominated with 38 deaths, Garu District 17, and Bawku West District, 13 deaths.
The Bongo District, Bolgatanga Municipal and Talensi District recorded eight, six and five cases respectively, while Garu-Tempane recorded four each.
Bawku Municipal, Builsa North and Pusiga districts each recorded two cases, while the remaining two districts, Kassena Nankana Municipal (KNM) and Bongo recorded one each.
Sheep are the most affected, recording 53 and cattle 35, while goats and pigs recorded five and two respectively.
However, after a laboratory test at the Kpong Tamale Veterinary Laboratory, only six of the districts reported positive cases, the Acting Director of the Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr Patrick Abakeh, explained.
The affected districts are Binduri, Talensi, Bongo and Bawku West districts as well as Bolgatanga Municipal and Kassena Nankana Municipal.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, Dr Abakeh explained that the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, had directed that a number of measures should be put in place to contain the situation.
He said the ministry was working on containing the spread of the disease, and had so far distributed a total of 100,000 doses of vaccine to all the districts in the region as of yesterday.
“Additionally, 100,000 doses of vaccine under production by the central veterinary laboratory are scheduled for distribution by next week,” Dr Abakeh assured the public.
He said all the 13 districts had so far had their animals vaccinated, totalling 23,449 animals.
Dr Abakeh said the Binduri District had the highest number of doses of 9,485 animals being vaccinated, followed by Talensi with 7,141 animals.
“Bawku West District, Bolgatanga Municipal and Bongo District have 2,948, 2468 and 1,195 animals respectively being vaccinated,” he said.
He said in all, a total of 8,189 cattle, 7,819 goats, 6,913 sheep and 528 pigs had been vaccinated.
Education
The director indicated that a sensitisation of the general public to the signs and symptoms of the disease was ongoing, while the general public had been advised not to consume carcasses of dead animals.
He said the minister was concerned about the development in the region and was looking forward to an early resolution.
Dr Abakeh, therefore, reminded the people in the region that early reporting of dead animals to the directorate for proper burial and disinfection of the areas were critical in containing the spread, while farmers were advised to vaccinate their animals against the disease.
He said there had been a ban on the movement and slaughter of livestock in the affected areas, as well as mass vaccination of livestock (sheep, goats, cattle and pigs in all affected areas)
Ban
Asked whether or not the measures taken so far were satisfactory enough for possible lifting of the ban, Dr Abakeh responded that, it would depend on the outcome of a Regional Security Council (REGSEC) meeting scheduled for today.
On the safety of meat in the region, Dr Abakeh explained that the consumption of meat was only safe when the meat was inspected and issued with a certificate by the VSD.
SOURCE: GraphicOnline
