Maravi

East Coast Fever claims 16 heads of cattle in Isoka

East Coast Fever claims 16 heads of cattle in Isoka
Written by Jonathan Mukuka and Hillary Musonda
Monday, February 16, 2009 3:57:03 PM

VETERINARY experts in Isoka district have ascertained that the disease that claimed about 16 heads of cattle in the area was East Coast Fever (ECF).
A mysterious cattle disease broke out in the area recently and killed cattle.

Isoka district veterinary officer Wilson Katumbi, who is also district agriculture coordinator, confirmed the development in an interview in Isoka yesterday.

Dr Katumbi said ECF had so far claimed about 16 heads of cattle in Kantenshya agricultural camp in chief Kafwimbi’s area of Isoka district.

He said lymph smears were collected from five young animals in the affected kraals, from which microscopic diagnosis revealed that East Coast Fever was present in all the five animals.

Dr Katumbi who led a team of veterinary staff on a verification field trip to the affected areas to ascertain the cause of the deaths of animals in Namota, Chipote, Chango, Kachilika, Mwika, Habakkuk and Kapina villages in Kantenshya, observed that animals were dying because they were not sprayed, dipped or de-wormed.

He said the disease was prevalent in Kantenshya and the rest of the district because farmers were not controlling the ticks, which cause the disease, and strongly advised all livestock farmers to start spraying, vaccinating and de-worming their animals to contain the disease.

Meanwhile, Dr Katumbi has dismissed misconceptions by some farmers that they were not dipping and spraying their animals for fear of animals dying.

He urged the cattle farmers to start dipping and vaccinating their livestock if they were to benefit from the enterprise, adding that they should also report all cases of sick animals to the veterinary department without any delay.

Dr Katumbi further advised farmers to sell some animals and crops to raise money to purchase the much needed livestock drugs to save cattle from extinction.

Labels: CATTLE DISEASE, WILSON KATUMBI

posted by MrK @ 3:57 PM