The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Farming Reporter
THE Department of Veterinary Services in Matabeleland region is on high alert to ensure the Foot and Mouth Disease does not spread to areas that are free from the disease, officials said.
Matabeleland North provincial veterinary officer Dr Polex Moyo said the department was closely monitoring and making efforts to contain the highly contagious viral disease from spreading to unaffected areas in the province.
He said the department was making concerted efforts to ensure the disease does not spread from Gokwe District in the Midlands Province to the neighbouring Nkayi District.
“Gokwe has had a problem for a long time so things are not looking good there, so we have been keeping an eye on Nkayi and in Hwange it has been going on for some time,” said Dr Moyo.
Hwange district veterinary officer Dr Lovemore Dube said the department has managed to contain the spread of the disease outside the affected areas.
The district was hit by the disease outbreak in the Jambezi and Mabale areas last month.
“Because of limited Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines we are still pursuing controlled movement of cattle and participatory epidemiology through community leaders and it is bearing fruits.
“We have received limited FMD doses and to prevent further spread of the disease we have vaccinated cattle at Kalambizi dip tank in the Jambezi area where it was still to be detected,” he said.
In the Jambezi area cases of FMD were recorded at Mbizha, Milonga, Gavu dip tanks while only one case was recorded in Mabale.
“Actually the disease is confined to the affected areas. In the eastern side of the district, it is in Mabale and it’s confined to one dip tank largely because cattle there tend to graze together while in the Jambezi area the animals mingle and share grazing land with those from other dip tanks,” said Dr Dube.
He said in an effort curb the illegal movement of cattle from the district, the department has allowed farmers around the central part of the district to conduct sales and slaughter animals within their area.
“As a result of the current economic hardship because we have quarantined the whole district some unscrupulous individuals will end up illegally moving their cattle and as such after thorough clinical inspections we have decided to let farmers in the central area such as Mashala, Shashashunda, Musuma and right up to Dinde sell their cattle and have them slaughtered in situ,” said Dr Dube.
Matabeleland South provincial veterinary officer Dr Mbuso Moyo said there has been no further reports of FMD cases since an outbreak of the disease in the Esigodini area in June.
“We have not received any reports of the spread of the disease from when it was reported to date,” said Dr Moyo.
The first case of FMD in the country was clinically detected on 16 August 2000 in a cattle feedlot in south-western Zimbabwe.
Prior to the outbreak, the country was known as an exporter of beef especially to the European market. The outbreaks have adversely affected the meat industry.
Emerging indications point to the fact that there are two sources of infection in the Zimbabwe outbreaks, both originating from the African buffalo species.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of livestock with significant economic impact. The disease affects cattle and swine as well as sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. All species of deer and antelope as well as elephant, and giraffe are susceptible to FMD.
In a susceptible population, morbidity approaches 100 percent. Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to the disease than traditional breeds. The disease is rarely fatal in adult animals but there is often high mortality in young animals due to myocarditis or by lack of milk when the dam is infected by the disease.
FMD is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. The disease causes severe production losses and while most affected animals recover, the disease often leaves them debilitated.
@DNsingo
