GOVERNMENT is bracing for an outbreak of livestock diseases as the rainy season intensifies, with the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) unveiling key measures aimed at mitigating its impact, NewsDay has heard.
According to DVS chief director Pious Makaya, farmers and stakeholders in the livestock industry should prepare for a significant rise in animal diseases during the current agricultural season.
He highlighted the expected increase in internal and external parasites, foodborne illnesses and vector-borne diseases.
“With the onset of the rainy season, we anticipate a general increase in diseases such as blackleg, anthrax, and major tick-borne diseases, including heart water, general disease, gout sickness and red water,” Makaya said.
He said to address the impending crisis, DVS was enhancing laboratory-based surveillance across the country, decentralising diagnostic processes to provincial veterinary laboratories in Manicaland, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Midlands.
The initiative aims to bring diagnostic services closer to farmers, facilitating quick disease detection and response.
“We have managed to decentralise diagnostic processes to provincial veterinary laboratories in order to ensure that we bring diagnostic services closer to the farmer facilitating quick disease detection and response,” Makaya said.
He noted that DVS plans to ramp up inspections and certifications of abattoirs and milk processing facilities to ensure the safety of animal-derived foods, as part of its public health operations.
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He emphasised the importance of vaccination against prevalent diseases, particularly lamb skin disease and other vector-borne illnesses linked to tsetse flies.
“Vaccinations are critical for controlling soil-borne diseases like blackleg, which is one of the leading causes of cattle fatalities,” Makaya said, adding that anthrax and zoonotic diseases also posed significant risks to both animals and humans.
He encouraged farmers to ensure that they dip their livestock on a weekly basis, adding that they should also adhere to standard operating procedures and consult extension staff for guidance.
