VET tackles January disease
SUKOLUHLE NDLOVU IN GWERU
The Department of Veterinary Services says there is a sharp drop in the cases of the deadly Theileriosis disease in response to measures employed to stem the disease.
The provincial veterinary officer, Martin Sibanda said the department stepped up various preventive and treatment measures to curb the outbreak of Theileriosis, also known as January disease, which had resulted in the death of over 400 cattle since this year.
“The cases of Theileriosis in the province have dropped drastically. In the past six months we were recording about 66 fatalities per month which translated to about 16 fatalities in a week. The cases of cattle succumbing to this disease in the province have dropped to about four incidents in a week,” he said.
Sibanda also warned farmers not to relax, but to continue following stipulated measures like constant dipping and limiting movement of cattle to fight against the disease.
“This disease is carrier status which means some animals that never got sick of this disease but have the parasite, can still transmit it to other animals if proper care is not exercised.
“So, we continue encouraging farmers to exercise extreme caution especially when it comes to the movement of cattle within the province or to other provinces. They should always consult our department first if they wish to move their cattle so that an assessment to determine whether they are fit for moving is carried out,” he said.
