‘Bauchi butchers being infected with contagious animal disease’

Butchers in Bauchi State are being infected with a contagious animal disease known as Brucellosis, the Deputy Director, Veterinary Services, Bauchi State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Istipanus Irimiya, has said.

Speaking in an interview with journalists in Bauchi at the weekend, Dr Irimiya added that herdsmen and others were also being infected by the disease.

According to him, 95 butchers out of 224 butchers from Bauchi, Misau and Katagum Local Government areas have so far tested positive to the disease after laboratory screening.

He said Brucellosis disease is a contagious disease which is being transmitted from ruminants to humans.

He said people who are constantly exposed to animals, particularly butchers, herdsmen and veterinary personnel and workers, were at highest risk of being infected with the disease.

“The disease is transmitted through consumption of unboiled milk, meat, raw meat, blood of the infected animals as well as lack of proper sanitation and hygiene.

The symptoms of the disease include high fever, headache, sweating at night, victims at times cannot talk, abortion in pregnant woman,” he said.

Dr Irimiya said the disease was discovered in the state by Dr Philip Bobu-Igiwe, a student on internship from Center for Disease Control Georgia who conducted the study under the umbrella of Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFETLP).

He said that the NFETLP has centres at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; University of Ibadan and Nsukka where medical and veterinary doctors carried out research on how to cure animal diseases that affect people.

The Chairman, Bauchi Butchers Associated of Nigeria, Alhaji Baba Uba commended government for taking measures to safeguard butchers from the disease as most are ignorant of its existence especially in this part of the country.