Cattle sellers, butchers lament as chefs, families cut down on beef

In this report, VICTOR AYENI examines how the detection of anthrax in some states and fears over its spread across the country threaten the businesses of butchers and cow sellers as well as patronage by chefs and other consumers

In most parts of Nigeria, cow meat is almost a necessary part of every meal, save for those advised to avoid it for health reasons.

Whether at high- or low-profile events,  beef, as it’s popularly called, is usually guaranteed a place on the menu. This is not because it’s the cheapest, its availability and sweet taste, especially when fried, have been some of its advantages.

However, the recent spread of anthrax – a killer disease for animals – in some states has not only scared some consumers, it has also left a sour taste in the mouth of cow sellers, meat suppliers and chefs.

For example, on a regular day, Bukola Ajayi, a butcher, says she supplies cow, goat and ram meats in addition to frozen foods to many people and businesses across Lagos metropolis.

Ajayi, the founder of LagosButcher, says she liaises with cow sellers through her workers who bring the bulls and cows to her abattoir for slaughter and packaging.

Speaking on how it was a norm for her to be inundated with orders from customers, Ajayi told Saturday PUNCH that on slaughter days she would have several orders and all would have been attended to latest by 12pm, to the delight of her customers.

However, since the detection of anthrax disease in some states in Nigeria, Lagos State inclusive, she lamented that the demand for cow meat had plunged.

“Anthrax disease has not only affected the supply of cow meat but also goat and ram considering that it affects domestic hoofed animals such as cows, rams, and goats,” she stated.

“Now we have more customers purchasing other meats other than cow meat as a result of anthrax. It seems consumers are now a lot more concerned about the sourcing and handling of these supplies.

“I personally find this stimulating as it shows the effect and level of awareness put out by the government and it also puts us meat handlers on our toes. Our sense of responsibility for and to consumers, ourselves and even livestock rearers is heightened,” Ajayi added.

Citing the recent outbreak of anthrax into the country, Ajayi said that there was much pressure on her as a butcher to ensure that public health was not jeopardised through her business.

She added, “The possible economic cost of this disease cannot also be overlooked, because there will be possible trade embargo resulting from veterinary quarantine regulations and the value and availability of animals.”

Anthrax, the unwanted outbreak

Anthrax is caused by the spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis, which primarily affects animals such as cattle, sheep and goats.

It can be contracted by humans who inhale its spores or come into direct contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products, such as meat, wool or hides.

Saturday PUNCH earlier reported that the outbreak of anthrax loomed out in Nigeria based on poor awareness and belated response after its outbreak was confirmed in northern Ghana.

On Monday, July 17, the Federal Government confirmed the first case of anthrax in Nigeria after it disclosed its detection in a farm in Niger State.

This was the first animal case to be reported in the country since the outbreak of the deadly zoonotic disease in Ghana in June 2023.

In a statement by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria was notified of animals that showed symptoms of a suspected case of anthrax in a farm in Suleja, Niger State.

The statement added that all the animals on the multi-specie farm located at Gajiri, along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, died.

The statement read partly, “Some of the animals had symptoms including oozing of blood from their body openings – anus, nose, eyes and ears.

“A rapid response team comprising of federal and state health professionals visited the farm to conduct preliminary investigations and collected samples from the sick animals.

“Subsequent laboratory tests by the National Veterinary Research Institute laboratory confirmed the diagnosis, marking the first recorded case of anthrax in Nigeria in recent years and after the report of an outbreak of anthrax in northern Ghana a few weeks ago.”

Following the announcement of the bacterial disease, the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Ifedayo Adetifa, called on members of the public to be cautious of the meats they consume.

He stated, “What we are saying is do not eat sick animals at all. Sick animals contain anthrax or animals that have died of anthrax contain anthrax and consumption of any of that product is unsafe. It is present on their skin, their hair and their meat.

“So, consumption of any of these products, even the people who work with hides and skin who are not even working on a skin for the purpose of consumption, are at the risk of anthrax if that skin came from a dead animal. At this point in time where we have a confirmed case, we are just saying look out for the meat that you buy.”

Adetifa said the movement of animals down south during the last religious feast might have contributed to the spread of the deadly disease to the country.

“Earlier, there were significant movements of animals during the last religious feast. The areas are called down south, and it’s possible that infected animals may have made their way into the country,” he noted. “Most especially for animals brought in across the borders.

“So, in this context, this is the first animal we have diagnosed with the condition, and there may be other animals with the infection. It is also possible that the disease is currently across the country and other cases that have yet to be notified. But we can only react to what we know.”

Its journey across states

Within three weeks, after it was detected in Niger State, anthrax was suspected in two more states – Lagos and Plateau – spurring a series of responses from the states.

On July 27, the Lagos State government stated that it confiscated, burnt and buried six animals infected with the anthrax disease in order to prevent its spread.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Olutokunbo Emokpae, said the cases were discovered during the surveillance of animals on Lagos Island and Agege.

She stated, “No case of human infection has either been identified or reported since the discovery of anthrax disease in Lagos. Human and animal surveillance activities have been stepped up.

“Free vaccination activities and monitoring have also been intensified. Animal owners should take advantage of the exercise by coming forward with their herd for inoculation.”

In Plateau State, the situation was a bit dramatic as the government initially described it as hearsay.

According to the state government, two suspected cases of anthrax were found in two unnamed communities. However, a report alleged that over 1,000 cows died due to a “strange disease” in the Mangu Local Government Area of the state.

The state government however denied the report, saying, “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no such incident in any part of Mangu Local Government Area and the government has not received information about the mass death of animals from any of the communities mentioned in the reports.

“The story is based on hearsay, and there is no credible source that has authenticated the story, which has created tension in the affected communities.”

The epidemiology unit of the state’s Ministry of Health and the veterinary unit of the Ministry of Agriculture noted that some samples had been taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute for thorough assessment and further investigation.

Following a complaint by a farmer in the Judges Quarter area of Benue State who suspected that his pig died of anthrax, the Director of Public Health in the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr Angela Igbagbul, stated that the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment already had a committee in place to tackle disease outbreaks in the state.

She noted, “The history is that the animal had been sick since April before it got to this point, and again the feeding of the animal wasn’t anything to write home about.

“We have also interacted with the residents; you know from a clinical perspective that anthrax could be acute and sub-acute looking at the incubation period between two to three days before the death of the animal.

“Yes, they were able to see little traces of bleeding from its nostrils, which could be from the struggles but we cannot preempt anything until the laboratory diagnosis. The samples were taken and we are awaiting the results before we can categorically say we have anthrax on our hands.”

Meat sellers, chefs battle plunge in patronage

A cow seller at Kara Market located between OPIC in Ogun State and Ojodu in Lagos State, Haliru Usman, told our correspondent that there had been a slight decrease in the demand for cows due to the fears over the disease.

Usman said, “There has been little decrease in the demand for cows by butchers and meat sellers because they are afraid that the cows may have been infected with anthrax. I believe this is only a temporary situation, but if it continues our business will be affected.

“With the support of the government and the help of God, this disease will be dealt with and we will not go bankrupt. This is the only work we have and if our cows are gone, how do we feed our families?”

Another cow seller, Ahmad Sarki, complained that his fears over anthrax had made him anxious because his business could run into losses if his cattle caught the disease.

He said, “We are affected and our cows too are affected because they will just fall sick and die and even transfer the disease to the herd. Even here in the market, we are often careful because if anthrax spreads, it means we will run into huge financial losses.”

Another cattle seller, Yakubu Aliyu, said he and his colleagues had been visited by veterinary officers and they had been told to promptly report any sick or dead animals to the government.

Meanwhile, the sellers are not the only ones apprehensive about the disease. Some chefs and caterers who prepare foods at events, parties and restaurants told Saturday PUNCH that the fear of anthrax had made some patrons opt for chicken instead of beef.

An Ibadan-based chef, Taiwo Ayeni, said, “At recent events where I have prepared food, I observed that there have been fewer requests for beef, while there is more chicken and fish on the menu.

“I think this recent shift is due to the fear that some cows have not been vaccinated or may have been infected before they were slaughtered. And naturally, people want to stay safe.”

Also, an Enugu-based chef, Ikechukwu Iheme, noted that he had avoided beef for a while due to some indecent practices he saw in social media.

Iheme noted, “I don’t steadily eat cow meat because of some indecent things some people do with cattle, which I saw in social media. In the resort where I work, we make use of croaker fish, catfish, white meat or goat meat.

“Anytime we put cow meat in our menu, it is often from the ones reared in the South-East, so not many people here consume beef. There would have been no noticeable difference now that anthrax has been found in some animals in some states.”

However, some chefs said that from their experience, people still demand for beef at events, but that they had adopted some measures to ensure public health and safety.

“People are still eating beef. In fact, at an event last week, I put beef on the menu. What we just do is to make sure we boil and fry the pieces of meat very well. Beef is still the main constituent on most menus, we only use fish or chicken to supplement it,” a chef in Ogun State, Paul Owodunni, said.

Another Lagos-based chef who operates a catering service, Femi Bernard, also pointed out that some residents still consume beef while others now opt for chicken.

He stated, “No, people are not boycotting or avoiding cow meat because of anthrax. Some people don’t even know it exists, while others know but don’t care. Then, there are some people who opt for chicken but the fact is that people still eat beef.

“However, in my catering service, what we do is to try to go for fish and chicken when we are left to decide the menu.”

While corroborating Bernard’s stance, a Lagos-based chef, Oladimeji Olawunmi, said beef remained the most wanted at most events and that chefs had to prepare what people love to eat.

He added, “I also have a restaurant and we sell cow meat every day. No matter how anthrax, which infects cattle, spreads, we still have to take precautions. Like now, what I do is parboil my beef before seasoning.”

Meanwhile, an economist, Mr David Esiri, advised the government to act on time in order to reduce the economic effects of anthrax on cow sellers.

“Whenever you have an outbreak of a disease like anthrax, it often has a serious effect on livestock farmers and the agricultural sector which contributes significantly to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

“I will advise the government to act fast to prevent the loss of many animals. According to reports by international organisations, Nigeria is already tottering towards food insecurity, so there should be measures to curtail economic losses among livestock farmers,” he advised.

According to the World Bank, the agricultural sector has been identified as the largest employer of labour, which provides a means of livelihood to over 23 million Nigerians.

Unfortunately, in May, the United Nations World Food Programme raised an alarm that 24.8 million Nigerians currently suffer from acute hunger, affecting 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The report by the agency cited the prolonged armed conflict in the North-East as a major driver of mass hunger and malnutrition, with millions facing the risk of famine and in dire need of life-saving assistance.

Similarly, the United Nations Children’s Fund disclosed that the number of Nigerians at risk of hunger rose by five million in 2022. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation had since last year called for urgent actions to prevent this.

Vaccination efforts

During the week, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development donated 50,000 doses of anthrax vaccines to the Lagos State government in the fight against the disease.

In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the ministry embarked on a three-day sensitisation visit to the state Ministry of Agriculture in Oko-Oba, Agege area of Lagos, on ways to halt the spread of anthrax.

During the visit, the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Association in Agege, Abdullahi Lalega, said the merchants and butchers were ready to cooperate with the government in the fight against the disease.

The Plateau State Government also disclosed that it had begun the vaccination of 4.3 million cattle and bought 200,000 doses of vaccines to curb the spread of the disease in the state.

The Executive Director of NVRI, Plateau State, Maryam Muhammad, noted that 50,000 doses of vaccine had also been sent to Niger State and vaccination for herds had commenced around the index case.

Our correspondent gathered that in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, residents vehemently refused to take the anthrax vaccine.

Speaking on anthrax vaccination across states, an environmental health and safety officer, Ayoade Oluwaseun, told Saturday PUNCH that there was still the need for more sensitisation on vaccines among many cattle and livestock owners.

He said, “There is a need for relevant agencies to sensitise butchers to the need to wear face masks, overalls and hand gloves, and adopt personal hygiene, otherwise the disease might spread even further.

“There should also be more enlightenment on the importance of vaccines and how they can be effectively stored. For instance, there have been reports that some livestock farmers are opting for concoctions to vaccinate their animals. This is fraudulent. Cow or livestock owners should instead go to designated laboratories.

“In fact, only registered veterinarians should be consulted, because there are some people who now parade themselves as vaccinators. Cow owners should avoid vaccines that have been exposed to the sun.”

Experts seek butchers’ collaboration

In a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Samuel Adeogun, urged butchers to embrace preventive measures in order to tackle the spread of the disease.

He added, “Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is, it affects both humans and livestock, and part of the things we have done in Ogun State is to sensitise the butchers to what to look out for as symptoms of anthrax in the animals, both the ones being sold and the ones about to be slaughtered.

“The sensitisation has taken place in the major slaughter slabs and abattoirs and cattle trade points we have in the state and it is a continuous process. Part of the things we expect the butchers to do is to maintain hygiene. We also encourage them to have personal protective wears which they can put on while they are working in the abattoirs.

“They should report any sick animal or any animal that suddenly dies to the nearest veterinary office. And for your information, we have veterinary officers in all the abattoirs in the state and they inspect the meats that are being slaughtered and sent to the markets for people to consume.”

He noted further that when the butchers fall sick, they are expected to report and seek medical attention. “We also advise them to clean and disinfect the abattoirs when they are done,” he added.

Adeogun noted that vaccination had not commenced for livestock because there was no anthrax outbreak yet in the state.

“We don’t have the outbreak of anthrax yet but what we are doing is to put preventive measures in place, create awareness, sensitise people to the symptoms they should look out for. These will prevent it,” he added.

A Chief Research Officer at the Department of Biotechnology, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Lagos, Dr Frank Orji, told Saturday PUNCH that the country was not prepared enough to manage the outbreak of zoonotic infections such as anthrax.

Orji stated, “Nigeria as a nation is not prepared to manage outbreak of zoonotic infections like anthrax because of government’s poor attitude towards medical emergencies. In this instance of anthrax outbreak, it is fully recommended that the government should intensify public health advocacy on anthrax using the media, churches, mosques and work places.

“The government through the state ministries of health should train butchers, chefs and individuals on good hygiene practices to manage the hazards and critical control points in meat processing.

“Bacillus anthracis as a bacterium can only be studied in a laboratory with some level of biosafety to avoid unintentional bio-terrorism. However, our veterinary laboratories in most of the states have no single facility to detect Bacillus anthracis. This is therefore the right time to equip state veterinary diagnostic centres with the appropriate state-of-the-art facilities such as molecular biology equipment. In the presence of a standard biosafety level and PCR machines, pathogens like Bacillus anthracis will be safely detected in a non-culturable approach.”

Orji further explained that the government should establish biosafety agencies to properly ensure microbial food safety.

He added, “It should be mandatory that before butchering and consumption, the health of the cattle must be certified by licensed veterinary officers who will rely on results from microbiology laboratories to pass the right verdict.

“This is the right time for the National Biosafety Management Agency to establish laboratories in at least each state in order to regulate and ensure microbial safety of food products like meat, which is a source of zoonotic infections.

“Butchers and chefs are encouraged to follow good infection control practices to prevent contact with Bacillus anthracis. Standard precautions to be practiced by butchers and chefs include hand hygiene and use of appropriate personal protective equipment such as chemical-resistant or impermeable garments and a respirator with an N95 particulate/chemical combination cartridge to avoid direct contact with Bacillus anthracis.”

He highlighted standard precautions to include safe waste management, cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment and that butchers and chefs should practice good hand hygiene and follow the WHO’s guidelines on hand hygiene, to avoid the exposure resulting from touching contaminated objects or other contaminated surfaces.

“Keeping skin cuts and abrasions covered with bandages will also help to prevent Bacillus anthracis spores from entering those wounds. The WHO’s guidelines on hand hygiene in healthcare suggest washing hands with either non-antimicrobial soap or antimicrobial soap,” he added.