By Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE
Beitbridge District has been hit by a foot-and-mouth outbreak that is suspected to have originated from 25 buffaloes that strayed into Zimbabwe from South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
The outbreak has been noted in the eastern part of the border town in Tshikwalakwala.
The Veterinary Services Department is said to be on high alert following the detection of cases in Tshikwala-kwala, Malungudzi and the Malipati areas of Chiredzi.
It is believed the buffaloes strayed into Zimbabwe earlier this year and had contact with cattle in Tshikwala-kwala.
The disease then spread through movements of livestock for sale.
A senior veterinary officer in Matabeleland South said they started dealing with the problem a fortnight ago at a cattle auction in Lutumba in ward five.
Isolated cases have been recorded in Chamnanga and Jopembe in Beitbridge West.
"Preliminary investigations reveal that the disease spread across Beitbridge east after stray buffaloes from South Africa mixed with herds of cattle. It then spread to other areas during cattle sales. We have started vaccinations and we have enough manpower to carry out the task.
"The whole district has now been put under quarantine until the situation gets back to normal," said the official.
He urged people to bring all their livestock for vaccination. Beitbridge district falls under agricultural natural region five where animal husbandry is paramount.
Deputy field director in the Vet Department, Dr Chenjerai Njagu, could neither confirm nor deny the outbreak and referred all questions to the principal veterinary services director, who was not reachable for comment.
In 2007, there was a stand-off between Zimbabwean villagers and those in South Africa in the Madimbo corridor near the Limpopo River when the latter teamed up with a white veterinary officer and shot scores of cattle belonging to the former.
They argued that the cattle were spreading foot and mouth into South Africa.
Villagers from both sides of the river also accuse each other of stock theft.
source, The Herald 23 August 2010
www.herald.co.zw
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