Govt dispatches vaccines to contain January Diseas...

Govt dispatches vaccines to contain January Disease spread

Zim Now Writer

Following an outbreak of January Disease in the Midlands Province, government has responded by dispatching a consignment of vaccines to contain the deadly livestock disease which has ravaged the province.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr John Basera said: “We have dispatched a delegation from the veterinary services to assess, monitor and provide awareness on the importance of religiously dipping cattle. We have released a variety of vaccines to the affected areas as part of our efforts to contain the disease.”

All farmers who fail to dip their cattle in line with the new 5:4:4 policy will face arrest, in line with the Animal Health Act which has been invoked.

“We are calling on all farmers to dip their cattle religiously for the next two years – we are going to invoking the Animal Health Act which stipulates that all farmers who fail to dip their cattle will be arrested.”

Over half a million cattle have been killed in the past few years as a result of the January disease, prompting government to introduce the tick-grease programme which managed to reduce the deaths by 37 percent last year.

Cases of January Disease have also been reported in Fort Rixon, Matabeleland South Province as well as some parts of Mashonaland West.