The Director, Veterinary Services, Cross River Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Obi Ogar, has disclosed that well boiled meat does not prevent one from contracting anthrax after consumption.

Ogar said this this Saturday, July 22, 2023 in an interview in Calabar, the Cross River capital.

He was reacting to claims in some quarters that boiling meat properly could kill the pathogen that causes anthrax.

Anthrax is a deadly bacterial and zoonotic disease caused by a bacterium called bacillus anthracis.

It also occurs primarily in cattle, sheep, goats and could affect other animals. Humans can become infected through contact with an infected animal or by inhaling spores.

He said the bacterium could only be destroyed using heat through the process of incineration, which will burn the substance to ashes.

He said while disposing of an animal that dies of anthrax, it should be done in a very deep grave after which disinfectant and chemical should be poured on the carcass before covering to prevent any escape.

“This organism is not killed by the heat from our kitchens but from incineration, thereby burning the substance to ashes which renders the meat of no use to the owner,” he said.

Ogar said the public should desist from eating bush meat for the time being because the disease is zoonotic and could also affect animals in the wild.

He advised Nigerians to buy their meat from approved meat markets and not from roadsides because no one could guarantee where they get their meat from.

Newsbreakers recalls that few weeks ago, anthrax was reported in some neighbouring West African countries and just last week, it was reported in Suleja, Niger State, Nigeria.