Farmers urged to embrace Biosecurity and report Disease Outbreak promptly upon occurrence

Livestock farmers across Nigeria have been urged to embrace biosecurity and report disease outbreak promptly upon occurrence.

This appeal was made by the Director of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) at a 1-day Seminar on Disease Prevention and Control for Profitable Livestock Production in Ibadan.

The Director ably represented by Dr. Kakulu while delivering a lecture titled, “Disease Reporting: What the Stakeholders need to know”, reiterated the need for prompt reporting of disease outbreaks across the nation as a vital tool to achieving a safe and profitable livestock production in Nigeria. 

She illustrated several instances where farmers have noticed disease outbreak on their farms but decided to stay silent about such incident for months. She added that infected animals are not meant to be sold because such act could result in national outbreak of zoonotic diseases.

Dr. Kakulu explained that anybody can report disease outbreak on farms or in a neighborhood including the farm assistant. She demonstrated disease outbreak reporting to the farmers and professionals present at the event using a Reporting Form Prototype.

The 1-day Seminar which was organized by the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, FMARD, Abuja in collaboration with Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Ibadan and Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was held at the U.I Hotels, University of Ibadan.

In a welcome speech, Professor Abodunrin Oladele, Director, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Ibadan, warmly welcomed the participant and stated that the Vet College is open for collaboration with livestock farmers especially those practicing within South West, Nigeria and added that the collaboration will offer a subsidized professional consultancy to such farm.

During the Seminar, Dr. Soji Abiola delivered a lecture on “Trans-boundary Animal Diseases”. His lecture was to intimate farmers and professionals present, with the diseases that are most threatening to livestock production and what to do when such diseases are noticed.

With the use of pictures and bilingual interpretation, the veterinary researcher explained trans-boundary animal diseases such as: African Swine Fever, Anthrax, Aujeszky’s disease, Avian Influenza, Blue tongue disease, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, Brucellosis, Classical Swine fever, Foot and Mouth disease, Helminthosis, Marek disease, Lumpy skin disease and many more.

“Some of these diseases are yet to be recorded in Nigeria but the way our livestock production is growing, we might soon record them, hence the need for this sensitization.” Dr. Soji Abiola concluded.

Dr. G.A. Oladosu however handled the lecture on “Trans-boundary Aquatic Animal Disease”. He explained the importance of fish production and mentioned the important Aquatic diseases. These diseases include: Hole-in-the-Head disease, Columnaris (Saddle-back) disease, Edwarsiellosis (zoonotic disease), Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) and many more.

Meanwhile, a lecture titled “Biosecurity for Profitable livestock production” was also delivered by Dr. O. O. Omotosho. In his lecture, Dr. Omotosho explained Aerosol, Oral, fomite, zoonotic and vector mode of disease transmission and recommended that movement/traffic should be minimized, controlled or restricted (as the case may be) to animal production pens. He furthered by emphasizing farm hygiene and reduction of overcrowding within pen as a good biosecurity mechanism.

Present at the 1-day seminar was Oyo state director of Veterinary and pest control services, representative of Veterinary Council Abuja, leadership of Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, representative of the Oyo state department of livestock services, Veterinary doctors, Animal health professionals, Animal Scientists, Farmers and students.

While reacting, farmers applauded the initiative and implored the federal government to include topics on companion animals in subsequent edition of the seminar