Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
The Veterinary Services Department has administered a booster vaccine dose to 23 000 cattle in Shurugwi District to curb foot-and-mouth disease in a move aimed at strengthening prevention.

An official with the provincial veterinary services department Dr Munyaradzi Chigiji said the cattle were given a booster vaccine following cases of foot and mouth that hit the district during the rainy season.

“We have boosted 23 000 cattle in Shurugwi for the foot and mouth disease to provide resistance to the cattle. We are supposed to be doing routine vaccinations in first priority vaccination areas after every four months,” he said.

Dr Chigiji said they have also vaccinated cattle in Mvuma though the exact numbers were not available.

“We also gave the booster vaccine in Mvuma District as it is one of our most vulnerable districts in the province due to trans-boundary movements. We have covered most of the areas especially along the provincial boundary with Masvingo Province where we recorded an outbreak of foot and mouth at various dip tanks in Mvuma communal areas,” he said.

He said the department is working with farmers to identify any potential cases of foot-and-mouth.

“We are urging farmers to observe livestock movement restrictions, to minimise the spread of the disease from the red zone areas to other parts of the country.”

Dr Chigiji said he was optimistic that Government’s contribution of $80 million for fences and the demarcation of foot and mouth zones along National Parks under the Command Livestock Programme will curb the spread of the disease. Foot-and-mouth disease is very contagious and spreads rapidly among animals, making it difficult to control.