Dr. Musa Mohammed, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), has appealed to the Federal Government to support veterinary doctors in their efforts to control Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADs).

Mohammed made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Abuja.

NAN reports that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), defines TADs as those diseases that affect the economy, trade, and food security in some countries, and which can easily spread to others and reach epidemic proportions.

The CVON, on his part, explained that TADs as highly contagious diseases that had the potential to spread rapidly across borders, causing serious socioeconomic damage.

According to him, TADs can disrupt or hinder domestic production, sales, and international trade of livestock and their products.

Mohammed, who identified some TADs as Foot and Mouth diseases, Avian Influenza, and African Swine Fever, among others, said the diseases could discourage international trade, as well as the exportation of the country’s domestic products.

The CVON described prevention and control of TADs as key factors for increasing market access and also trade facilitation.

“Any diseased animal is not going to provide maximum productivity, so we need to control these diseases so that our animals can produce optimally.

“The way forward is to continue to seek the government’s support so that our trained professionals can control transboundary animal diseases.

“This will enable us to have healthier national herds with optimum productivity to guarantee national food security and indirectly national security,’’ Mohammed said.