As enlightened Nigerians express concern over the video of a lady who had sex- ual intercourse with a dog continues to trend on the social media, a veterinary doctor and specialist in animal care, has warned that such contacts could lead to the outbreak of zoonotic diseases, emerging and re-emerging infections. Reacting to the development, the Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Lagos State Chapter, Dr Aroso Olufemi Joseph, said the kind of diseases that humans get from animals, including dogs, are called emerging and re-emerging infections, and vice versa.

Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that are transmitted between species from animals to humans (or from humans to animals). On its part, emerging infectious diseases are commonly defined as outbreaks of previously unknown diseases, known diseases that are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range in the last two decades, and the persistence of infectious diseases that cannot be controlled, according to the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“Imagine there is a disease that has been long forgotten or eradicated thousands of years ago; by coming into sexual contact with dogs, we can reintroduce such diseases back into the society,” Aroso said, adding that “diseases like HIV probably started like this; Ebola also, probably, started like this.” The video trending online shows a woman engaging in sexual intercourse with a dog; the lady subsequently posted another video, saying she did it after getting N1.7 million for the act. Speaking further on the health impact of humans engaging in sexual intercourse with dogs Aroso, who is also the president, Ibadan Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association worldwide, noted: “The first thing that comes to mind will be venereal diseases or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). So the kind of diseases that you would be expecting to contract from engaging in sexual intercourse with a dog are gonorrhea, syphilis, and others are very specie-specific to humans.”

The Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement to journalists yesterday vowed to fish out owners of dogs who pay ladies to have sex with their pets. “Dog-owners will be punished and prosecuted upon their arrest. Security agents won’t relent until ladies seen having sex with dogs in viral ‘TikTok’ videos are apprehended,” Adejobi stressed. (Text, excluding headline: New Telegraph)

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