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Edgar Vhera, Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) is ready to take on vectors, chiefly, ticks that transmit diseases, which negatively impact animal health, productivity and production as the summer season starts.
DVS chief director, Dr Pious Makaya made the pronouncement recently when he confirmed the department’s preparedness for the 2024/25 season.
“In order to effectively control ticks and tick-borne diseases, DVS has adopted the integrated tick and tick-borne disease control strategy.
“The cornerstone of the strategy is tactical dipping, where plunging activities are complemented by acaricide resistance monitoring and weekly dipping in the summer season,” Dr Makaya said.
He explained that under strategic dipping, tick resistance profiles to specific dipping chemicals are continually evaluated to ensure effective cattle dipping. The use of tick-borne disease vaccines against Theileriosis (January Disease), Anaplasmosis (Gall Sickness) and Babesiosis (Redwater) is one of the key components in the implementation of the tick control strategy, he added.
The DVS has stocked adequate weekly dipping chemicals and tick grease for distribution to cattle farmers under the Presidential Blitz Tick Grease Programme targeting one million households in the upcoming summer season.
Dr Makaya also revealed that the DVS was currently producing three tick-borne disease vaccines – BOLVAC (January Disease), Gall Sickness and Redwater.
For the 2024/25 summer season, DVS is targeting more than 350 000 doses of BOLVAC, 100 000 doses each of the Redwater and Gall Sickness vaccines with plans in place to upscale the production of these three tick-borne disease vaccines for increased vaccination coverage, he said.
The DVS will also carry out an accelerated dip tank rehabilitation programme before the rainy season, to revamp the country’s dipping infrastructure. In 2024, a total of 5 000 dip tanks were earmarked for rehabilitation with 396 getting rehabilitated.
These precautionary measures are being inspired by recent experiences in which tick-borne diseases accounted for more than 60 percent of annual livestock mortalities, with January Disease responsible for more than 75 percent of summer mortalities.
Meanwhile, the DVS will also continue rolling out Tsetse fly and Trypanosomiasis disease surveillance targeting 12 500 square kilometres in tsetse infested and high-risk areas this summer season.
Said Dr Makaya: “A total of 17 800 tsetse targets and odour sachets will be deployed 445 kilometres from Kariba Lakeshore in Mola to Mututa Basin in Mbire District. At least 4 200 square kilometres are being targeted for the progressive tsetse trypanosomiasis elimination this summer to reduce the burden on affected communities.”
The DVS is targeting to test 20 000 animal samples this year, having so far tested nearly 14 000 samples. It is also prepared to offer free disease diagnostic services to all livestock farmers in the 2024/25 summer season, he disclosed.
One million cattle will be vaccinated against foot and mouth disease (FMD) and anthrax while 13 million birds (poultry) will be vaccinated against Newcastle Disease this year.
The DVS plans to increase the national herd, as well as improve the genetics of the local cattle populations through cattle breeding in the upcoming bulling season from November 2024 to April 2025.
Dr Makaya said DVS would be producing cattle semen straws for artificial insemination (AI) at its Mazowe Bull Centre and was targeting to produce 100 000 cattle semen straws of various cattle breeds by December 2024.
In addition to the above programmes, DVS will conduct intensive farmer awareness campaigns to promote best practices and optimise production and productivity, he said.
Online Reporter