The county government of Murang’a has imposed a ban on selling meat and milk in Kahumbu ward in Kigumo for the next 14 days after the locals consumed meat from a cow believed to have died of anthrax.
An additional ban on movement in and out of the area has been issued in a bid to control the spread of the disease to the neighbouring areas.
Scores of residents are said to have developed health complications after consuming meat from the cow which was slaughtered after it reportedly died of the disease.
About 200 people ate the meat and some started developing sores on their bodies which is an indication that the meat has the virus.
The owner of the cow, Margret Ngugi opted to slaughter the cow after it died mysteriously and sold meat to locals at Ksh400 per kilo which led to many scramble for it unaware of the danger they were getting themselves into.
Ngugi claimed that the animal died out of suffocation and that the meat had been inspected by a private vet who gave her the green light to sell it.
The county veterinary officer William Kingori said the quarantine will help curb the spread of the disease, adding that they have started the vaccination exercise for all the animals in the area.
“During the two weeks’ quarantine period, all local butcheries will remain closed and farmers are advised to pour the milk they get from their cows,” King’ori said.
“If any of these two products have to be sold, they must be sourced from elsewhere but we will be monitoring the situation and shall advise the locals accordingly,” he added.
The officer also noted that the private vet who inspected the meat was a quack and is not registered and that is why he allowed the locals to consume it, exposing them to a huge health risk.
On his part, Governor Irungu Kang’ata who visited the residents said the county government will take care of the medical expenses for those who were affected.
Kang’ata said a mobile clinic will be going around the ward for the next 14 days to help in testing and treating residents who consumed the meat.
He also urged the security officers to track down the quack vet and arrest him saying he should be charged for operating without proper qualifications thus exposing the public to such risks.
“The vet is not an employee of the county government and he should be apprehended for operating without a license,” the governor added.
