FMD infected beast killed

THE Department of Veterinary Services ordered the killing of 16 cattle in Lupane’s Gomoza area on Wednesday after one of the animals that had been illegally moved from the quarantined Gokwe District was diagnosed with foot and mouth disease (FMD).

Matabeleland North provincial veterinary officer Dr Polex Moyo confirmed that 16 beasts were ordered to go for direct slaughter on Wednesday last week after it got in touch with an animal that had been diagnosed with FMD at a community cattle sale pen in the Gomoza area.

The 16 animals were spared being killed and burnt after being inspected and certified free from the highly contagious viral disease of livestock. The infected animal was killed and had its carcass burnt yesterday.

“We got a notification from the director to kill the animals that had been in contact with an infected beast that had been illegally moved from Gokwe. We are not really after killing people’s livestock but this just serves as a warning. As it is there is no vaccine to vaccinate thus if we issue an order to stop movement of cattle from FMD affected areas we expect people to be patient for one or two months thereafter we will look at modalities on how they can resume trade,” said Dr Moyo.

In an interview with the Sunday News recently Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for livestock production Cde Paddy Zhanda said the Government would continue to destroy all livestock especially cattle that will have been moved from FMD quarantined areas into unaffected destinations as it moves to control the spread of the viral infection.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union Matabeleland North provincial chairman Mr Winston Babbage said there was a need for farmers in FMD affected areas to adhere to the Veterinary Services’ movement regulations so as to guard against losing their livestock.