Bovine tuberculosis found in cows in Abia

…as govt urges residents to avoid eating cow lungs

Abia State government has advised residents to desist from eating cow lungs in order not to contract Bovine Tuberculosis, which has been found in some slaughtered cows in the state.

Ikechi Mgb o j i , the state commissioner for agriculture, who gave the warning on Tuesday, said that officials of the ministry discovered that some cows brought into the state about two weeks ago, were infected with “Bovine Tuberculosis”, a disease, which affects cow lungs.

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic animal disease caused by a bacteria called “Mycobacterium bovis” ( M. bovis) related to the bacteria, causing avian and human tuberculosis and can affect all mammals.

The disease causes a general state of illness manifesting later with coughing and resulting in eventual death of the affected mammal.

“Part of our work in this ministry is that any cow offered for public consumption is usually examined, by veterinary doctors. Two of such cows slaughtered about two weeks ago, were found to have Bovine tuberculosis ( M. bovine) and there is no way to know a cow with such a disease unless they are either killed or tested.

“So, we decided to alert people, who eat beef to stop eating the lungs of cows for now, but they may eat the flesh,” the commissioner said.

Mgboji, professor of law, explained that his ministry has alerted all veterinary doctors, who operate at the abattoirs in the state, to watch out for such disease manifestation to determine its spread and safeguard lives.

He also noted that the ministry has alerted cow dealers in the state, to be aware of the discovery and to allow their cows to be tested to safeguard the lives of beef consumers.

He lamented that cow dealers have not been showing interest in having their cows tested to determine their fitness for human consumption, stressing that their quest for profit is a threat to human health.