The Abia State Government has warned residents to stop eating cow lungs, as it has discovered people get infected with bovine tuberculosis disease from eating it.
This was made known on Tuesday by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ikechi Mgboji.
He explained that avoiding the consumption of cow lungs would stop residents from contracting the disease, but noted that cow flesh is safe and can be eaten.
Describing further, he said, the disease causes a general state of illness that makes infected persons cough and leads to death in most cases.
Mgboji said, “Part of our work in this ministry is that any cow offered for public consumption is usually examined by veterinary doctors.
“About two weeks ago, two of such cows, when killed, were found to have bovine tuberculosis. There is no way to detect a cow with such a disease unless it is either killed or tested.
“So, we decided to alert people who eat beef to stop eating the lungs of cows for now. But they may eat the flesh.”
