Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government said it will not allow the national herd to be decimated by the resurgent theileriosis — a tick-borne disease (also known as January disease) but will continue rolling out mitigation measures to curb its spread with the country so far recording 236 cattle deaths and 618 cases.
The dreaded disease is expected to reach its peak this month and the Government has urged farmers to be extra vigilant and regularly inspect their cattle for the presence of ticks while religiously following their dipping calendar.
It is also working on increasing the production of the BOLVAC Vaccine for the disease to 900 000 doses this year up from 300 000 produced last year.
In an interview, the Department of Veterinary Services acting chief director, Dr Pious Makaya said for the period 1 November to 31 December 2023, Mashonaland West had the highest number of deaths due to theileriosis followed by Matabeleland South and Masvingo.
“Of the 236 January disease deaths, 64 were recorded in Mashonaland West, 62 in Matabeleland South, 42 in Masvingo, 21 in Mashonaland Central, 20 in Mashonaland East, while Manicaland had 14 deaths, 12 in Midlands and one in Matabeleland North,” he said.
“The highest number of cases have been recorded in Mashonaland East with 177, 118 in Mashonaland West, 94 in Masvingo, 91 in Matabeleland South, 49 in Mashonaland Central, 43 in Midlands, 33 in Manicaland and 13 in Matabeleland North bring the total to 618 cases.”
To avoid a repeat of recent seasons in which close to a million cattle were lost to tick-borne diseases, the Government has introduced a raft of measures that included the adoption of the 5-5-4 dipping rota, the Presidential tick-grease programme and the construction and rehabilitation of dip tanks across the country.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development urged farmers to continuously dip their cattle arguing that dipping remains the single most effective control measure against all ticks and tick-bone diseases.
The Ministry said dipping of cattle was mandatory by law and cattle should be dipped at least once a week to control ticks and tick-borne diseases during the rainy season.
“The rains are now upon us. Most parts of the country are receiving good rains to support cropping and pastures. The good rains, however, bring with them an increased activity of ticks resulting in tick-borne diseases such as the notorious January Disease affecting cattle if not prevented,” said the Ministry.
“Dipping should be repeated when cattle are rained on within 24 hours of dipping. They should also be inspected for ticks two to three days after dipping, especially inside the ears, under the tail, on the udder and the tail brush.”
It also urged farmers to apply tick grease on the tick feeding sites in between dipping sessions and inspect their cattle twice a day – in the mornings and evenings for any signs of illness (depression, weakness, off feed and lagging behind) and report immediately to the nearest veterinary office.
In the event of an outbreak, a quarantine order is instituted for 28 days with a 5-5-4 dipping interval effected concurrently with the application of tick grease during that period.
The Ministry added: “Early reporting improves treatment success rates, but prevention is better than cure as treatment outcomes are not always successful. Farmers should bring all their animals for dipping to avoid unnecessary, preventable cattle deaths. By operation of the law, anyone who does not dip their cattle, or whose cattle are tick-infested, can be prosecuted.”
The Government has also been making efforts to manufacture dipping chemicals and vaccines locally as part of mitigation measures to curb the spread of the disease.
As the Second Republic continues to heighten efforts to fight the disease, the Government is working on increasing the production of the BOLVAC Vaccine for the disease to 900 000 doses this year up from 300 000 produced last year.
The vaccine which is undergoing field trials is being administered in hotspots as it is not yet at full scale.
In Zimbabwe, the disease has been a problem resulting in thousands of cattle succumbing to it in recent years.
It is common between December and March and is spread through the bite of the brown ear tick, while of late it has been known to occur all year round but increases significantly as from November, reaching its peak in January.
More than 65 percent of cattle deaths in Zimbabwe are caused by tick-borne diseases, with 500 000 cattle valued at about US$150 million having died of January disease between 2018 and 2022, according to reports.
Online Reporter