Post date: Mar 29, 2012 12:23:21 PM
MAZABUAKA, ZAMBIA (MARCH 27, 2012) (REUTERS) - Cattle in Zambia's southern province are facing an outbreak of Lumpy Skin disease that could affect thousands of animals in the region if not put under control, veterinary officials said this week.
Livestock experts in Zambia's southern district of Mazabuka are treating and vaccinating hundreds of herds of cattle after an outbreak of Lumpy Skin disease killed dozens of heads of cattle.
The disease has already affected 2,500 in Mazabuka, the main district in the region but government veterinarians have been to the area to treat those carrying the virus and vaccinated healthy herds.
The virus, which was first detected in Zambia in 1929, now affects cattle across Africa but has also been found in giraffe, buffalo and impala.
Symptoms include discharge from eyes and nose, nodular skin lesions and lameness.
Farmers in Mazabuka were bracing themselves to count massive losses but an intervention by Zambia's ministry of livestock and fisheries has been able to reduce the threat.
"I lost four animals from lumpy skin and many others from other cattle disease, but as soon as the veterinary officers vaccinated most of my animals, there have been no more deaths, the herd is getting healthier and those affected by Lumpy Skin have been recovering well," said farmer, Fleming Bautu.
"Following the outbreak of Lumpy Skin disease, as you know this is a management problem, our role as a department is to advise farmers and where possible, where they buy their own drugs, we also move in to assist in the treatment," said Dr Nawa Mabuku.
While less severe than Foot and Mouth disease - one of the world's most infectious diseases of farmed animals and regarded as a major economic threat - Lumpy Skin can spread fast transmitted through biting insects and can take up to six months to heal.
This would be bad news for the country's beef industry, which according to the World Bank could make a significant contribution to jobs and improve the economy of rural areas.
Zambeef, the country's largest beef producer, slaughters 60,000 cattle a year. It also exports, mostly throughout southern Africa and employs over 5000 people with a ready market for farmers within its production line. It also has a listing on the Lusaka Stock Exchange as well as London's Alternative Investment Market, AIM.
Zambeef public relations manager, Justo Kopulande says monitoring animal diseases in the fields is important to ensuring quantity and quality supply, but without the control of outbreaks like Lumpy Skin, the industry would not grow to its potential.
"What has set us back in this industry are cattle diseases. If cattle diseases can be worked on, which government has been carried on working on and us in the private sector have also been contributing and contributing immensely, in the sense that we have always encouraged and observed rules that govern movement as well as prevention of spread of diseases," he said.
Agriculture accounts for about 20 percent of Zambia's GDP and employs about 80 percent of the workforce.