Niamey, March 1, 2019 – A contagious bacterial infection known as “equine strep throat” has killed more than 4,000 donkeys in northern Niger since early December, local officials said Friday. “Of the 8,392 donkeys affected by equine distemper or equine strep throat, more than half succumbed since the infection appeared in the first 10 days of December,” said the regional authorities in Agadez, Niger’s renowned gateway to the Sahara. The others survived after being treated for the infection, which hit donkeys in the Ingall area, public television reported. Donkeys are used by millions of people to get around in Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world. But in 2016, Niamey slapped a “strict ban” on all exports and slaughter of donkeys in order to protect them.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 01, 2019 16:41 UTC