The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has said it is collaborating with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to ensure that the fight against the potential introduction of coronavirus into the nation is properly managed.
In a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Chigozie Nwodo, on Tuesday, the agency said it is obligated to buffer the nation from the potential introduction of this high-risk virus.
“Bearing in mind the zoonotic nature of 2019 n-CoV, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service is collaborating with FAAN to ensure that there is no gap or breach on the veterinary quarantine front at the airports,” the statement highlighted.
China is grappling with an outbreak of the deadly 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 n-CoV).
The virus has killed over 100 people and affected about a thousand more, in central Hubei Province.
A couple of days ago, Vietnam and Singapore were added to the nations with confirmed cases, joining Thailand, the United States of America, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
The World Health Organisation has described this outbreak as an emergency for China, but stopped short of declaring it a public health emergency of global concern because the death toll had yet to meet the threshold.
“Coronaviruses (CoV) are zoonotic, meaning that they are cross transmittable between human beings and animals”.
According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.
Hence, CoV represents an equal opportunity danger to human life and the agricultural sector.
A single case of introduction will have potentially broad and prolific ramifications.
The statement revealed that FAAN had issued a travel advisory, admonishing passengers to submit themselves to standard quarantine formalities.
It highlighted that as the single point of command for all agricultural quarantine activities in Nigeria, the stakes are high. “Therefore, officers are on their professional guard,” it said.
Consequently, all NAQS officers stationed at all ports of entry have heightened their alertness to make certain that procedural quarantine inspection is performed stringently, diligently and rigorously. There can be no exception or exemption.
The agency advised the general public to report any case related to the above to quarantine posts in their locality or the agriculture department in their local government council.
Alternatively, they may reach the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service directly via email: contact@naqs.gov.ng or call +234 809 133 3385, +234 807 777 8943.
The Director-General, Vincent Isegbe, assured Nigerians that the ‘ever-stable sense of duty of NAQS officers will remain an impenetrable bulwark against any threat to the nation’s agricultural economy, safety and the environment.’
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