News in Brief:
– An outbreak of organophosphate poisoning in cattle at a market in Kwara State, Nigeria, led to public health concerns.
– The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security issued warnings and emphasised safe meat consumption practices to prevent future incidents.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has announced a public health warning following an outbreak of organophosphate poisoning among trade animals at the Mandate Cattle Market in Ilorin, Kwara State.
This public health warning was issued in a press statement on the ministry’s official X page. The outbreak has already resulted in the death of several cattle after they consumed forage contaminated with organophosphate chemicals.
Also, corroborating the story, the Kwara State ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development disclosed that the animals displayed symptoms which include excessive salivation, weakness, and collapse.
Public health risks prompt rapid response
Consequently, herders reportedly slaughtered seven of the severely affected animals for human consumption, which raised concerns by the ministry regarding the public health risks associated with contaminated meat.
Subsequently, the Kwara State Rapid Response Team (RRT), comprised of federal and state veterinary officials, collaborated with a state government task force to swiftly address the matter.
In this regard, the team took several decisive actions to contain the situation. These measures include tracing and confiscating the meat from the slaughtered animals for safe disposal.
Also, they administered organophosphate antidotes to 40 potentially poisoned animals, resulting in their recovery, while disinfecting the slaughterhouse where the affected animals were butchered.
Ministry warns against unsafe practices
Meantime, the federal ministry of agriculture has emphasised the importance of safe food consumption practices to prevent future outbreaks.
Effectively, the Ministry advises the public to purchase meat only from registered and government-approved vendors such as abattoirs and butcher shops, avoid meat from animals that have died from unknown causes.
The ministry also advises the public, especially herders, to allow sufficient withdrawal time (14 to21 days) after administering any medications or chemicals to animals before consuming their meat or other products.
Additionally, the ministry says that when applying chemicals to open fields, notice should be issued to nearby communities to prevent animals from grazing in the area for at least a week.
Finally, it assured the public of its continued collaboration with state veterinary services to guarantee best practices in animal health, pest control, and disease prevention, ultimately aiming to ensure the availability of safe food products of animal origin.
