Blessed Moyo and Media Mpofu, Sunday News Reporters
MORE than 50 cattle have succumbed to an outbreak of Theileriosis commonly known as January disease in Fort Rixon, Insiza District in Matabeleland South Province in recent weeks.
Theileriosis is one of the tick-borne diseases that account for more than 60 percent of all cattle deaths recorded in the country annually.
Its trail of destruction in Fort Rixon has reignited fears among farmers who are still reeling from the previous years’ losses.
According to local farmers, the disease, which is spread through the bite of the brown ear tick, has returned with a vengeance this rainy season as the wet conditions have created an ideal breeding ground for the ticks, allowing the disease to spread rapidly.
Insiza District Ward 18 Councillor, Jostinah Ndondo told Sunday News in an interview that farmers are growing increasingly desperate fearing that they may lose what little livestock they were left with after last year’s attack and the drought.
“When this disease started, I had 171 cattle and in June last year I was only left with 25 cattle which means I lost a staggering 146 to the disease since 2022,” she lamented.
“If the rain continues, I am afraid I will lose all my remaining cattle. I will be left with nothing and I do not know how I will survive. More than 50 cattle from the community have succumbed to the disease this year alone, sparking widespread concern among farmers in the area.”
Matabeleland South provincial veterinary services director Dr Enat Mdlongwa on the left.
She said farmers fear that they may lose more as the rainy season is showing no signs of abating.
Clr Ndondo revealed that this year alone, the devastating outbreak of the January disease has struck the three villages in her ward leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
She said the alarming death toll has highlighted the urgent need for effective measures to be taken to combat the disease, which has been wreaking havoc on cattle herds in the region, decimating the national herd.
Clr Ndondo said they were applying tick-grease to their cattle and have increased the frequency of dipping to once a week hoping it will provide some respite until a permanent solution to the disease is found.
Matabeleland South Provincial Veterinary Services director Dr Enat Mdlongwa confirmed the recent outbreak of the disease in Insiza District.
“We are aware of the cattle deaths happening in Insiza District and we are rolling out some measures. We started working on a mass cattle vaccination last year and we will soon cover the remaining areas to combat this disease,” he said.
Dr Mdlongwa urged farmers to increase their dipping regimes to protect their herds.
The return of January disease has served as a stark reminder of the devastating impact that tick-borne diseases can have on livestock.
As farmers struggle to come to terms with the latest outbreak, the call for urgent action to prevent further losses and protect the livelihoods of those affected cannot be emphasised.
Cattle infected with the January disease experience severe symptoms, including fever, anaemia and ultimately death.
Typically the disease spreads during the wet season between December and March, with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development estimating that over 500 000 cattle have died from the disease since 2016.
