Dr. Mable Abudu, the Ashanti Regional Veterinary Officer, has allayed residents’ fears about anthrax outbreaks in the Upper East Region.
According to her, the Ashanti region has not recorded any cases of anthrax, so residents should avoid any false reports that are floating around.
She said the safety of the people was paramount, and officials have ensured that all the time.
”It is true that there is an anthrax outbreak in the Upper East Region. However, in the Ashanti Region, we have not recorded a single case. When there is an outbreak like this, people are afraid to consume meat. But I want to reassure residents in the area that meat is safe to eat because it has been inspected before being sold on the market. We do not allow the meat to be sold without being inspected. If we examine them and find any abnormalities, we do not allow them to be sold,” she explained.
On its part, the management of the Kumasi Abattoir says it has intensified surveillance to ensure no affected animal enters its yard.
It said since there is an outbreak in the Upper East Region, they would not accept any cattle or other potential animals that are prone to anthrax to the facility.
”We have put in place safeguards to prevent any animal from the Upper East Region from entering this abattoir. We decide who we trade with, and if there is an outbreak in the Upper East Region, we will not accept animals from there,” Kumasi Chief Butcher, Mr. Ibrahim Wahab Tikuma said.
He lamented that the situation had increased the cost of animals and harmed their business.
”This usually results in an increase in animal prices. And if a price increase does not result in a reduction, the public is likely to blame the government.”
”This has had an effect on our business. We were killing 160 animals per day before this outbreak, mostly cows. Pigs, goats, sheep, and other animals are not included in the figure I gave you. The figure has been reduced by 60 to 100.
People are afraid to use our services. But I’m assuring them that there’s nothing to worry about. We have put safety measures in place, so they should continue to patronise our services.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
