OIE warns of anthrax outbreak in Benin cattle
The country’s director of livestock breeding at its ministry of agriculture, livestock and fishing Dr Richard Hounga Lokossou reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that, for the time being, there would be “no vaccination or treatment”.
The outbreak was discovered last Wednesday (20 March) within a sedentary herd in Tabota, Boukoumbe, in an area of anthrax-infected fields. Hounga Lokossou warned there were 67 cattle currently at risk after two cows died. There could be more casualties as the official warned the “event is continuing”. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted to the OIE.
An outbreak in 2012 in the same region led to 2,000 cattle being vaccinated against the disease, with quarantine and movement controls being imposed. Prior to that outbreak there had been no new anthrax cases within Benin since 2009.
