Tumu, (UWR), Jan.31, GNA-Hunters in the Sissala East Municipality have attended a day’s sensitisation workshop at Tumu on zoonotic diseases among wildlife.
Dr Nana Owusu Ansah, the Manager of the Gbele Resource Reserve Park of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission in a welcome address cautioned hunters against the type of animals they hunt.
He said the workshop, which had in attendance, hunters, bush meat traders, Police, health workers, environmental health and others was aimed at sensitizing them to be mindful of what they hunt as some animals were traced to be carrying diseases that could be passed onto humans.
The Park Manager observed that, « Covid-19, H1N1 and SARS », were said to have been brought about through human contacts with certain animals.
He advised Pet owners to ensure that their animals were regularly vaccinated as some of the pets could infect humans with hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and other diseases.
Mr Alex Bapula, the Sissala East Municipal Director of Health advised farmers to avoid direct contact with animals to prevent being infected with zoonotic diseases.
He said, « You have to always wash your hands from clean running water to keep you healthy and some of us even play and touch animals, but that can be dangerous ».
He said animals were beneficial, but had diseases and that the first HIV reported case was said to have come from a chimpanzee.
Participants were taken through the processes involved in acquiring firearms in the country and were advised to regularly renew their guns so as not to fall foul of the law.