We’ll all be in trouble if anthrax spreads like Covid, experts warn

MEDICAL experts have raised the alarm on the implications of allowing anthrax to spread like Coronavirus (COVID).

The experts gave the warning at the 6th Biennial Professional Lecture organized by the Association of Science Laboratory Technologists of Nigeria, ASLTON, themed, ‘Pandemic Diseases: The Containment and Mitigation Role of a Science Laboratory Technologist’.

Contributing, a Professor of Medical Microbiology and Medicine Biotechnology at the School of Medicine, University of Lagos, Marry-Theresa Niemogha, explained: “Anthrax is caused by Baselots anthracis and suggested that the country deploy the same method used in fighting Covid.

“In other words, everybody has to be aware. People should know that if Anthrax spreads the way Covid did, we will all be in trouble. So we can use all the preventive methods explained by Professor Omilabu, including personal preventive measures like face masks and hand sanitisers, to prevent the spread from going to other people.

“But we shouldn’t frighten people yet about any outbreak; let us work toward it and prepare. We have an emergency team like the virologist and the bacteriologist for another infection or disease that we might have. In this way, we will be able to get everything ready for containment.”

On his part, Professor Sunday Omilabu of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology/Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, posited: “If anything will kill over 10 million people, it will rather be an infectious, deadly disease than war.”

Omilabu explained that most zoonotic diseases are transmitted by animals. According to him, “There are lots of atrocities associated with wildlife, and they are going to continue unabated. Diseases cannot be controlled when we are careless with our environment. Other pathogens will come, but we do not know when. We should not wait for an outbreak before we prepare ourselves to detect pathogens on time.”

Also speaking, the Chairperson of the event, Mrs. Afolabi-Tosin Afolashade, stressed that there’s an urgent need to prioritise the continuous professional development of members for effective service. 

“To this end, training and workshop to enhance our members’ capacity should be encouraged.”