‘Stray animals can spread swine flu, other diseases’

By Seye Adeniyi -updated: Tuesday 30-06-2009

From right; Mr. Martins Ola, Director, National
Directorate of Employment, Oyo State office,
Honourable Joseph Oyewale Ogunmola,
Chairman, Oyo West Local Government
and Mr Teslim Adegbola, Vice Chairman
of the council, during a 3-day public/private
sector agric-business seminar organised
for farmers in the council recently.
Photo: Seye Adeniyi.SINCE the outbreak of a viral disease known as swine flu (HINI), every country of the world has embarked on certain precautionary measures to guard against the spread of the dangerous disease into their nations.

The Nigerian government is not leaving any stone unturned concerning this viral disease and has therefore embarked on serious sensitisation and public awareness campaign for its citizenry to know what to do in order to keep the dangerous disease at distance.

However, the recent reported news of the discovery of the disease in certain parts of the country especially the oil producing state of the country calls for serious concern.

Although the government of the oil producing state had since debunked such an embarassing news, describing it as a cheap rumour, nonetheless, there is need for every state government to embark on precautionary measures to keep the viral disease at bay, as well as find lasting solutions to some persistent problems which many agricultural experts said may enhance the spread of zoonotic diseases.

These are diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans which some public health experts have described as a a threat to human health. They have also tasked the government to find a lasting solution to many problems militating against the development of the nations agricultural sector.

To make the country free of Avian Influenza virus, swine flu, anthrax, tuberculosis, as well as other dangerous animal diseases which are threatening the success of the country’s livestock industry and also affect the health of humans beings, there is need for every state government in the country to enact a law that will make it a punishable offence for anybody to allow animals to stray on the streets, and if such law/legislation ever exist before, there is need to enforce such a law and arrest any straying animals, especially fowls, dogs, goat, sheep and pigs.

In this part of the world, especially in Nigeria, it is a common thing to see animals moving freely on major streets and there are many reported cases of such straying animals attacking small children, bitte them and infected with diseases like rabies, e.t.c.

In fact, there are many road accidents that are traceable to straying animals. Apart from causing accidents and attacking human beings, straying animals according to Dr. Kingsley Adesehinwa and Dr. Festus Ajayi, both of the Institute of Agricultrue, Research and Training (IAR&T), Apata, Ibadan, can also transmit diseases like avian flu, swine flu, rabies, anthrax, tuberculosis, contagious abortion, as well as other dangerous zoonotic diseases to human beings.

Livestock farmers or animal rearers ought to know that the best thing to do when embarking on livestock farming is to get an appropriate place (preferably a piece of land) where such animals would be kept and properly reared.

They should also know that it is against the law of nature to expose the lives of animals to danger by allowing them to become nuisance in the society. Animals should not even be allowed to become objects of disturbance/inconvenience to our fellow human beings.

Such a practise is also detrimental to the development of any society and no environmental law/legislation will support such an unwholesome practise.

However, if we are to prevent zoonotic diseases from affecting human beings, if we want effective prevention of the spread of diseases like avian influenza virus popularly referred to as bird flu (H5NI), swine flu, etc, then we must not allow animals to stray on the streets.

If the government is determined to tackle diseases like polio, cholera, dysentery, rabies, meningitis that are of public importance, then there is need to enforce a law that will make it a punishable offence for anybody to allow animals to stray on the streets.