“Contrition twines me like a snake, each time I come upon the wake of your clan.” This poetic line from J.P. Clark’s Fulani Cattle remains the most evocative way I can express my mixture of sympathy and indignation upon witnessing a group of young men drinking raw dog blood in the name of worshipping Ogun.
Animal-to-human disease transmission has long been a serious public health concern, particularly when it is deliberately ignored due to cultural beliefs. History is replete with notable cases that escalated into public health emergencies. Many of the world’s most devastating zoonotic diseases originated from mankind’s careless handling of animals.
Not too long ago, the world was on red alert as Mpox threatened international relations. The countries hardest hit were located in Africa, where poverty, illiteracy, and fragile healthcare systems continue to take a heavy toll on lives and livelihoods. In many African nations, animal poaching is unregulated, often driven by a desperate need for nutritional protein. Families rely on bushmeat for sustenance, frequently without regard for the health risks associated with consuming animals that may serve as vectors of highly contagious and deadly diseases.
It was during a recent fieldwork that I stumbled upon a deeply disturbing ritual among a group of young men who claimed to be offering a sacrifice to Ogun, the Yoruba god of iron. The violent slaughter of the male dog was harrowing enough, but the sight of them drinking a concoction of its fresh blood mixed with dry gin sent electric currents through my body.
While taking turns to drink the mixture, the young men confidently asserted that it served as a potent antidote against spiritual attacks and life’s misfortunes. One insisted it was a strong fortification ritual to repel evil spells and bad luck. Another claimed it acted as a powerful anti-bullet charm. When they passed me a glass of the crimson concoction, my first instinct as a healthcare journalist was alarm: these men could unknowingly be courting a zoonotic disease outbreak, rooted in cultural ignorance and misguided bravado.
I couldn’t help but question the safety of consuming raw animal blood -especially from the local dog breed known in Igbo as ekuke. These dogs are not domesticated in the way trained pets are; they roam freely, scavenge waste, and often consume human faeces due to neglect. Rarely vaccinated or treated, they are reservoirs of dangerous pathogens, bacterial and viral alike.
Throughout history, zoonotic diseases – those transmitted from animals to humans – have had devastating impacts. The Plague of Justinian (541–542 AD), caused by Yersinia pestis and believed to have spread from rodents, and the Black Death (1347–1351), another catastrophic outbreak transmitted by fleas on rats, collectively claimed millions of lives in Europe. In the 20th century, the emergence of HIV/AIDS from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in primates, and the 1993 hantavirus outbreak in the U.S. linked to deer mice, highlighted the ongoing threat posed by animal-human interactions.
In recent decades, this threat has escalated: SARS (2002–2003), linked to civet cats, brought global attention to the wildlife trade; the H1N1 influenza (2009) outbreak, originating in swine, spread rapidly across continents; and COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 and believed to have originated in bats, possibly with an intermediary host, upended the modern world.
Today, zoonotic diseases remain a pressing global health issue. According to the World Health Organisation, over 60 per cent of human infectious diseases are zoonotic. This risk is exacerbated by human encroachment into natural habitats, driven by climate change, deforestation, and rapid urbanisation. These environmental disruptions increase the likelihood of pathogens spilling over from animals to humans.
To address this, public health systems must prioritise early surveillance of animal populations, robust research into potential zoonotic threats, and community education to encourage safe animal-handling practices. Key prevention strategies include vaccination programmes, improved sanitation, and sustained international cooperation.
Understanding the historical and biological mechanisms of zoonotic infections is vital to protecting public health and preventing future pandemics. Furthermore, it is crucial that health authorities investigate under-reported cultural practices involving animal sacrifice and blood consumption. These practices, if left unchecked, could precipitate outbreaks in vulnerable communities, leading to avoidable suffering and loss of life.
