Quarantine illegal immigrants, livestock

WITH the continuing influx of Venezuelans into TT, chairman of the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC) Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh is calling on Government to establish a quarantine facility in the Cedros/Icacos area.

Ramadharsingh said, in the midst of the deepening crisis, Venezuela had been plagued by diseases such as measles, malaria, diphtheria and other vector-borne diseases such as Chikungunya, dengue, Chagas’ disease, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis (river blindness), among others.

He said infected immigrants posed a potential health risk to the people of TT when they come to these shores and are not tested. Ramadharsingh, a veterinarian, said he is also worried about diseased livestock being smuggled from the mainland through the open ports in the southwestern peninsula.

Last week a video on social media showed a group of illegal immigrants being brought into the country by fishing vessels through the Los Iros port.

For months, as well, councillor for Cedros Shankar Teelucksingh has been raising health and safety concerns about cattle, sheep, horses and even a donkey being smuggled through the port.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat is on record as saying the ministry is monitoring the illegal importation of livestock from Venezuela, which is being used as breeding stock or sold in retail outlets as meat.

He said those matters had been brought to the attention of the chief veterinary officer in the Animal Production and Health Division and law-enforcement agencies had intercepted shipments, but traffickers continued to use innovative ways to get animals across the borders.

Unsatisfied with the response to date, Ramadharsingh, on Friday, reiterated,“There is serious concern by the scientific, veterinarian and national community about the impact the Venezuelan crisis is having on the economy and people.

“With such a large number of Venezuelans coming into the country we have to be very careful about the spread of diseases.”

He said other diseases could wipe out the ruminant livestock or make them worthless and destroy the economy.

“There must be a quarantine facility for blood and skin testing of humans, a full medical check of animals done by veterinarians, because we see the emergence of diseases previously thought to be neglected and the emergence of new viruses,” the SRC chairman said.

He explained that because of extreme poverty in the mainland which has citizens fleeing in droves daily to greener pastures, sanitation and hygiene have been sacrificed, “and we see the emergence of ultra-poverty diseases coming out of these circumstances.

He, therefore, called on the government and the authorities “to set up immediately facilities to manage the livestock importation and to do several levels of testing of visitors, check their vaccination records to protect the people of Siparia, Cedros, Icacos and all of TT.”