The Commissioner of Agriculture in Nigeria’s Abia State, Prof Ikechi Mgboji, has disclosed that some cows have been discovered with bovine tuberculosis.
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.
To avoid a break out of the disease, Prof Mgboji has warned residents in the state to avoid eating cow lungs.
Cows slaughtered for public consumption are usually examined by veterinary doctors but two weeks ago, two such cows were killed and found to have Bovine Tuberculosis (M.bovine) when tested, Mgboji disclosed.
“So we decided to alert people who eat beef to stop eating the lungs of cows for now but they may eat the flesh.
“They should stop eating that particular organ for now until we are able to determine if it is a very exceptional case or a prevalent case.”
The state’s Ministry of Agriculture has alerted all veterinary doctors who visit the abattoirs in the state to be on the lookout for such disease manifestation to determine its spread and safeguard lives.
He also noted that the Abia agriculture ministry had 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.
The Commissioner lamented that the cow dealers have not been showing interest in having their cows tested to determine their fitness for human consumption adding that their quest for profit is a threat to human health.
He called on the Board of Internal Revenue in the state to always send professionals trained in veterinary medicine to inspect meats in abattoirs.
He warned against using non-professionals in the inspection of meats meant for consumption by the public stating that such poses health hazard to the people.
