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By Mike Rwothomio Zombo Pakwach District has registered a serious outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the three Sub-counties of Alwi, Wadelai and Ragem. Ragem Subcounty has reported 100 cases, Wadelai over 50 and Alwi confirmed 1 case. To mitigate the spread
By Mike Rwothomio
Zombo
Pakwach District has registered a serious outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the three Sub-counties of Alwi, Wadelai and Ragem.
Ragem Subcounty has reported 100 cases, Wadelai over 50 and Alwi confirmed 1 case.
To mitigate the spread of the disease, Pakwach leadership has imposed restrictions on the movement of livestock and its products into, out of, or through the district.
Twaib Achille, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner appealed to farmers to strictly adhere to quarantine guidelines, and avoid transportation of livestock including other animals products from one place to another.
He assured that the district has requested for additional FMD vaccines from the government to ensure 100% vaccination coverage.
The leaders express optimism that the timely delivery of the vaccines will be a key proactive measure to slow-walk the rapid spread of the dangerous FMD disease.
Ogala Charles, a livestock farmer in Pumit Parish, Wadelai Sub-County reported losing two calves to premature births caused by the infection. He also recounted how he recently lost 130,000 shillings to treatment of his animals.
Last year, Government imposed animal quarantine in 32 districts across the country, due to outbreak of FMD disease that exacerbated considerable distress in the cattle corridor. The Affected districts included Luweero, Gomba, Isingiro, Kazo, Kiruhura, and Sembabule, among others.
Florence Acen, the Pakwach Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, has rallied farmers to remain vigilant, and identify infected animals in compliant with containment measures.
This is the second time Pakwach has been hit hard by FMD outbreak since 2017, and it also compounds to the challenge Pakwach Farmers faced in 2023, after contagious caprine Pleuropneumonia ( CCPP) in goats and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia ( CBPP) in cattle, ravaged the area, killing hundreds of livestock.
The District Production Officer Canpara Robert, also the acting District Veterinary Officer, stated that the district requires an additional 40,000 doses of vaccines to cover over 37,000 registered cattle.
Foot and mouth disease is caused by an Aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae, and its prevention is dependent on the presence of early detection and warning systems, and the implementation of effective surveillance among other measures, according to the world organization for animal health.
Omito Robert Steen, the LCV Chairperson of Pakwach, attributed the spread to illegal transportation of animals across the River Nile, and improper disposal of animal waste along animal corridors in Alwi Sub-County, particularly in villages of Ondir and Got Madi.
He called for heightened security surveillance to curb these practices.
In November last year, Uganda through UPDF received a consignment of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines from Egypt, comprising 2.5 million doses.
According to the ministry of Agriculture, Uganda’s total susceptible livestock population requires 44 million doses of FMD vaccines annually, necessitating a bi-annual vaccination programme costing approximately $176 million per year.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact.
The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. It is a transboundary animal disease (TAD) that deeply affects the production of livestock and disrupts regional and international trade in animals and animal products.