By Regina Benneh
Sunyani, July 19, GNA – The Bono Regional office of the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) has intensified education on zoonotic diseases that affect animals and humans to ensure meat consumed by the people are disease-free, good for public health and safety.
Dr Donald Joachim Darko, the Regional Director of the VSD, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), explained zoonotic diseases were caused by germs that spread between animals and humans, which were very harmful and could cause illnesses and even death of people with close connection with the contamination.
Dr Darko said even though the ban on movement of ruminants and donkeys, slaughtering, sales and consumption of meat and meat products had been lifted in the country, measures had been instituted to control any future outbreak.
He said sensitisation of the public on the prevention of anthrax and other deadly diseases that could be transmitted from animals to humans were still in progress to avoid any uncertainties.
Dr Darko urged livestock farmers and the populace to stay away from dead animals and to not consume or sell them, but rather alert veterinary officers immediately to prevent the spread of the disease to other farms in neighbouring communities.
He said veterinary offices were in readiness to answer further questions from the public on animals and receive their reports in cases of any strange diseases, affecting their farm and communities for quick response to save lives and prevent loss of investments.
Dr Darko, therefore, advised livestock and poultry farmers to work alongside the VSD to be able to control and manage any outbreak of infectious diseases that could be transmitted to humans.
GNA