Be wary of FMD and soil-borne livestock diseases, farmers told

Ashton Mutyavaviri

AS the winter season sets in, it is important for livestock farmers to be on the lookout for foot and mouth (FMD) and soil-borne diseases, which are common during the cold winter months.

Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) chief director Dr Pias Makaya said soil-borne diseases such as anthrax and blackleg were the most common diseases during the winter season, which required serious attention.

“Animals become particularly prone to these diseases, as there is shortage of pasture in most areas and they feed on very short grass and tree leaves. This forces them to ingest soil in the process and with it disease-causing agents found in the soil,” he said.

He urged farmers to vaccinate their cattle against soil-borne disease such as anthrax and blackleg. Blackleg is produced by spore-forming bacteria. The organisms most commonly responsible are Clostridium chauvoei and, less frequently, C. septicum. Spores produced by the clostridia can lie dormant in the soil for years without losing their potency.

Increased activity at the human-livestock-wildlife interface will likely result in rabies virus spill-over to humans and domestic animals hence the need to vaccinate against these diseases, he observed.

“As the country is approaching the anthrax peak period farmers are advised to report animal deaths to their nearest veterinary office for assistance,” he added.

Signs of anthrax include sudden death of livestock, rapid decomposition of the bloated carcasses and tarry blood coming out of all natural openings. Blood from a contaminated carcass is brownish and does not clot.

The department is rolling out vaccination programmes to control anthrax across the country and has completed the exercise in the Midlands province, said Dr Makaya.

He urged farmers to secure their own vaccines for the control of blackleg. Farmers must, however, desist from buying vaccines from undesignated sources adding that fake vaccines may promote antimicrobial resistance.

“Farmers should consult veterinary extension officers in their areas to be guided and assisted on which vaccines to buy and where to get them,” he observed.

Blackleg is one of major killer diseases of cattle in the dry season and farmers must make sure their animals are vaccinated.

Symptoms of the disease are lameness, depression, loss of appetite and a hot painful swelling on a limb which crackles when pressed.

Later, the skin over the swelling becomes cold, dry and leathery with the affected animal normally dying within 48 hours of presenting symptoms of the disease.

Foot and mouth disease also increases during the winter, Dr Makaya hinted.

It is another major problem during the winter period, as animals move long distances in search of pasture close to wildlife areas.

Dr Makaya indicated that there were recent cases of FMD in some parts of the country adding that they were now under control.

“There was a case in Chikomba, which we reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health,” he explained.

Government has implemented several measures aimed at boosting livestock production to satisfy national demand for both human consumption and industrial use.

It has intensified the fight against livestock poverty deaths by constructing water troughs at village business units, introduced hay baling and drought mitigation awareness campaigns.