The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE department of veterinary services will soon be decentralising their testing services to detect pathogens affecting livestock and animals in order to efficiently control and eradicate diseases.
Centralised testing in Harare has been seen as a lengthy process that delays decision making as specimens are transported to a centralised laboratory setting where they undergo a range of diagnostics.
Senior medical laboratory scientist Moise Dube leads a tour of Mpilo National TB reference laboratory equipment at the hospital yesterday.Following proceedings are Provincial Affairs and Devolution Paul Nyoni, FAO representative Dr Berhanu Bedane and Dr Shungu Munyati.
Speaking during a tour of the Bulawayo Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL) last week on Friday in Bulawayo, co-ordinator Ms Agnes Juru-Chibango said the laboratory was going to be one of the first in the decentralisation move to carry out testing services.
Part of the laboratory equipment that was commissioned at the Bulawayo National TB reference laboratory.
“So, some of the tests have already been decentralised to this laboratory and we are working on that by the end of this year we should be able to do testing for foot and mouth disease.
“This is a foot and mouth disease province and I am sure the provincial veterinary director (PVD) will be very happy to have the foot and mouth tests and results being done here for him to make decisions,” said Ms Juru-Chibango.
Some of the laboratory equipment that was commissioned at the Bulawayo Provincial Veterinary services laboratory in Bulawayo yesterday.
She said they were working on that among other tests of importance that they wanted to decentralise to the laboratory.
Ms Juru-Chibango said they were also going to decentralise the rabies test called direct rapid immunohistochemical test (DRIT), so that when they have the human cases the results come out very quickly rather than sending the samples to Harare.
“Currently rabies testing is only being done in Harare for the whole country. So, when we decentralise to this province then it makes it much easier so that the laboratory in Harare becomes a reference lab and most of the tests are done at the provincial level,” she added.
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) sub-regional office for Southern Africa Livestock Development Officer, Dr Berhanu Bedane said there was need to supports the innovation of laboratories and equipping them.
He said enhancing the capacity of the laboratory makes it self-sufficient for animal health problems around Matabeleland which was very important.
“Just a week ago with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Chief Director for Veterinary Services Dr Josphat Nyika we were in Johannesburg, the issue of foot and mouth disease was at the forefront.
“The foot and mouth virus has been a very serious disease in the SADC region. Recently the Zero type O of food and mouth virus has invaded our region and that is very serious for the animal industry especially the livestock industry in this part of world,” added Dr Bedane.
He said this type was not the usual one and it was known for being very aversive, killing and making animals sick, while it affected not only cattle but also other ruminant species.
Dr Bedane said capacity built at the toured laboratory was very critical following the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease which went from Zambia to Malawi.
“We do not know when it might be detected in Zimbabwe so we have to be alert and ready. We have to build our capacity to dictate it quickly and not like sending samples to Harare and waiting for the results. This laboratory now has capacity to do it quickly so that we can contain the spread of the disease,” he said.
The tour was done during the handing over and commissioning of Government laboratories rehabilitated to address gaps in surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in Zimbabwe.
FAO and its implementing partners renovated the National TB Reference Laboratory at Mpilo Central Hospital and the one at the Bulawayo Veterinary Services Department.
The laboratories renovation costs a total of US$40 210 while the reagents and equipment cost US$35 989, one of the achievements of the Fleming Fund country grant for Zimbabwe.
