PROF MARTIN AYIM : PREVENTION IS BETTER |
As residents of some parts
of the North West Region continue to battle to prevent their goats from dieing,
an endowed professor of Health Education and promotion has warned against the
eating of the carcasses.(Dead goats, animals ).
While also inviting
government to take quick action and arrest the situation, the Professor at
Grambling State University, Louisiana, USA, Martin Ayim, in this interview
gives some of the causes of what he terms zoonotic diseases hitting Nkambe, Ndop and other areas.
The professor who
also runs an NGO did not rule out the possibility, though exceptionally, of
transmission of the disease from animals to humans…
Read on for full interview....
Prof Ayim, we have witnessed for
almost a month now the death of animals especially goats in the NW region of
Cameroon. What could be the possible cause(s)?
MINORITY HEALTH PROMOTION,MHPI, STAFF, B'DA |
We are talking here about a Zoonotic epidemic. These are diseases
occurring among vertebrate animals and transmissible among the animals and
sometimes to humans.
An epidemic is the occurrence of a disease in a population
clearly in excess of normal expectancy. It is an outbreak. This means, one case
of an eradicated disease like Small Pox, is an epidemic and should be treated
as such.
An epidemic occurring in animal population is called epizootic
(zoonotic epidemic) like what we have now in the North West Region of Cameroon.
Examples of Zoonoses are rabies, Bovine Spongiosum Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad
Cow’s Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacobs Disease (vCJD), the human counterpart of BSE.
MHPI GM, MRS AKAH, ON HAND WASHING DAY 2015 |
BSE for example is caused by a Prion virus that attacks the
nervous system of the animal. Animal becomes apprehensive, loses coordination
progressively, is sometimes aggressive, and eventually dies. BSE usually occurs
in epidemic magnitude.
Remember the UK scenario where more than 34 herds of
cattle were reported. Basically the cause is a virus in animals and eating the
carcasses of infected animals.
Does this disease attack only animals? Is there a possibility of
transmission to humans?
Like I said earlier zoonosis occur
in animals and sometimes, not all, can be spread to humans. There is however very remote chance
of animal to human transmission. BSE is transmitted through animal feed,
especially if the feed is prepared with carcasses and neural tissues of
infected animals. Transmission to other species is possible.
Is consuming the goat meat during this period risky, even if well
prepared?
DO NOT EAT THESE CARCASSES |
Yes, prevention is better than cure. Consuming goat meat during
this period is risky. Carcasses should be buried immediately. They should not
be eaten no matter how well prepared.
How best can the populations prevent maybe the spread of the
zoonotic disease among animals and to humans?
Prevention will depend on the exact zoonosis. However, immediate
preventive actions by individuals and the population entail:
a) proper
burial or disposal of infected animal carcasses;
b) not
eating carcasses, control of animal movement (transportation) from an infected
area to other areas;
c) containment
of animals in infected areas until situation is under control,
d) report
cases to the local health authority;,
e) epidemiological
investigation by authorities to answer the questions what, where, who, when,
how and why?; and
MHPI SEC, NGUFO IN SANTA |
f) intensive
community health education and health promotion outreach (local Media Radio/Tv,
newspapers)
What should the ministries concerned do given that you talk of
immediate action?
Action during any outbreak should be swift and immediate to
prevent massive spread to other areas. First an epidemiological investigation
should be conducted to answer the questions and know the exact problem and root
cause. There is a challenge here because trees and animals are involved. The
population should be assured to be calm and cautious.
The Ministry of Health
should provide an expert or epidemiologist to lead a team of investigators
comprising of experts from stakeholder ministries. Swift collaboration and partnering
between the Ministries and NGOs,
is recommended under the auspices of the
Ministry of Health because though animals and trees are involved, it is a
public health problem. The Ministry of Health will alert the Center for Disease
Control, CDC and the World Health Organization, WHO, in line with reporting
process of communicable diseases and outbreaks.
MHPI STAFF TEACHING COMMUNITY HEALTH |
I wish the affected areas and the Northwest Region well. My heart
goes to the communities. Once the exact cause is determined, the General
Manager of Minority Health Promotion Initiative, Inc,
an NGO in
community health education and health promotion outreach, Mrs Akah
Beatrice and Strategic Project Initiator and Collaborator, Dr. Fritz Dinka,
will engage in meaningful health action that would provide support to the
communities.
*Prof Martin Ayim “Ta Nformi” (a traditional title in NW Cameroon) is an Endowed Professor of
Health Education and Health Promotion at Grambling State University, Louisiana,
USA. He is also Adjunct Professor in the Doctor of Public Health/Master of
Public Health Program at St Monica University, Buea, Cameroon. Born in Ngwenjin
Village, Widikum Northwest Region, Cameroon, Prof Martin Ayim studied at
Indiana University Bloomington Indiana and Texas A & M University, College
Station Texas and is Executive Director of Minority Health Promotion Initiative
Inc. an NGO based in Bamenda, Cameroon. Visit the webpage www.minorityhealthpromotion.com for
more information. Author house Publishing Company and Presbook Cameroon have
published his book entitled “Communicable Diseases for School and Community
Health Promotion.”The French version of the book which touches on communicable
diseases and 132 more others, is expected to be made public this year.
I hope people a listening to the advice not to eat dead gaots.
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