URGENT ALERT: Cattle Poisoning Outbreak in Kwara Cattle Market

• Federal Ministry alerts on cattle poisoning at Mandate Cattle Market, Ilorin due to organophosphate contamination.

• Herders slaughtered affected cattle, posing health risks; Rapid Response Team disposed of contaminated meat.

• 40 poisoned cattle treated and recovered; ministry advises consuming meat from certified sources only.

the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security issued an urgent public alert on Thursday regarding an outbreak of unintentional poisoning among trade animals at the Mandate Cattle Market in the Adewole area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The incident, first detected on April 20, 2024, involved cattle consuming forage contaminated with organophosphate chemicals.

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The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, reported cases of deaths in the herd, with affected animals exhibiting symptoms such as hypersalivation, weakness, and recumbency.

In an effort to reduce losses, herders were reported to have slaughtered seven severely affected animals for public consumption, a situation that presented notable public health dangers.

Cattle Market

Addressing the issue, the permanent secretary affirmed that the state’s Rapid Response Team (RRT), composed of federal and state veterinary officers, collaborated with the state government’s task force to identify, seize, and safely dispose of the contaminated meat.

Fashedemi clarified that 40 suspected poisoned animals received treatment with organophosphate antidotes, leading to significant improvements in health and eventual recoveries.

The ministry hence urged the public to refrain from consuming meat and animal products contaminated with organophosphates and to opt for meat from certified sources like registered abattoirs and meat shops, while also avoiding meat from dead animals.

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