Archive Number 20091020.3614
Published Date 20-OCT-2009
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, bovine - Zimbabwe: (MN South), RFI
UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, BOVINE - ZIMBABWE: (MATABELELAND SOUTH), REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** **********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 18 Oct 2009
Source: Sunday News [edited]
<http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=4638&cat=1>
Mysterious disease claims livestock
-----------------------------------
More than 100 cattle have reportedly died in the Linda-Mandali
village of Mangwe District from what the villagers believe is a
mysterious disease. The deaths are reported to have caused a serious
strain on the farming season preparations in the area.
According to villagers from the area, the only noticeable symptom was
that the cows suddenly became weak and then within a space of a few
hours they collapsed and died. They said the disease seemed to be
contagious, as most families who had lost livestock had lost more
than one. One family from the area reportedly lost 15 cows in one week.
Speaking to Sunday News last week, councillor for Ward 3 in the
district, Mr Benedict Ndlovu, said the situation was getting out of
control and the villagers had nowhere to turn to as their efforts to
report to the department of veterinary services in the area were in vain.
"Most of the villagers here have lost so many cattle that this is
going to set them back when farming starts. We need help otherwise
the disease will wipe out the entire village. We are a farming
community and cattle are our most prized possessions," he said.
Villagers in the area maintained that the illness was strange as they
had never seen or heard of anything like it. They said in a day a
family could lose up to 3 cows. Of concern, however, is that some
villagers are said to be eating the carcases of the dead cows,
raising fears of health risks.
"All these cows are dying and there is all this meat lying around, do
you expect us to just let it rot like that? No, we are eating it, and
anyway no one has died yet from eating it," said a man who identified
himself as Mr Ncube.
When contacted for comment, the Plumtree veterinary services
department staff was not at liberty to comment as the
doctor-in-charge of the Plumtree office was said to be away. However,
an animal disease specialist who spoke to Sunday News speculated that
the deaths might be a result of hunger, as a lot of grazing land had
been destroyed by veld fires in the Matabeleland South region.
"Veld fires are destroying a lot of grazing land and as a result most
livestock starve and end up dying in large numbers. If you look
closely at the trend you will notice that cows are usually the 1st
victims and die quickly because they would most probably be nursing
or pregnant. The lack of food means they lack nourishment and get
weak quicker than the bulls," said the specialist.
The Matabeleland Provincial Veterinary Services Department in Gwanda
professed ignorance at what was happening in Plumtree, as they had
not received reports of such cases. A veterinarian from the
provincial office, who preferred anonymity, said rural farmers had a
tendency of not reporting such cases until the last minute and
promised that the department would conduct investigations on the
matter. The doctor said a lot of cattle in the region were in very
poor condition because of hunger and attributed the hunger to veld fires.
"Veld fires are causing a lot of damage in the province and people
should try by all means to prevent them. The problem is that most
rural farmers only start panicking when it affects them directly,
they don't take any action when they see it happening to other
people," said the specialist.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland
[The above article lacks details pertaining to clinical signs,
pathological changes and epidemiological data. The comments on
possible malnutritional background are reasonable but deserve to be
substantiated; in any event, consumption of dead animals (cadavers)
is not a commendable practice, to say the least. The mass mortality
could be the result of infectious and/or non-infectious etiology,
including agents (such as anthrax) or substances which might threaten
consumers' health.
Any results of a professional investigation, afield or/and
lab-backed, will be welcomed.
For the province Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe, see
<http://healthmap.org/r/00WL>. - Mod.AS]
[see also:
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe: (MV) 20090423.1534
2008
----
Anthrax, bovine, human - Zimbabwe (02): (MN) 20081201.3774
Anthrax, bovine, human - Zimbabwe (MN) 20081128.3751
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West) 20080926.3045
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe: (Matabeleland N) 20080527.1724
2007
----
Lumpy skin disease, bovine - Zimbabwe, Zambia 20070604.1811
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East) 20070206.0473
Lumpy skin disease, bovine - Zimbabwe 20070111.0125
2006
----
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East) 20061220.3572
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland East) 20061207.3454
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West) 20061018.2995
Anthrax, bovine - Zimbabwe (Matabeleland) 20060430.1256
2005
----
Anthrax, human, bovine - Zimbabwe (Masvingo) 20050119.0184]
....................arn/ejp/mpp