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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 12 Nov 2012
Source: Acholi Times [edited]
http://www.acholitimes.com/index.ph...disease-depleting-livestock-in-lamwo-district
Contagious disease depleting livestock in Lamwo district
--------------------------------------------------------
A yet-to-be identified contagious disease has killed over 100 herds of livestock in several sub-counties in Lamwo in the last 2 months causing panic among residents who are now afraid of losing their entire stock if the disease is not checked.
Over 50 head of cattle and more than 60 of goats are said to have died in the 4 sub-counties of Agoro, Lokung, Padibe, and Madi Opei and almost the entire population of pigs have been wiped out with only a handful being treated. In the 3 villages of Awena Olwiyo, Ngomoromo, and Apuk, almost the entire population of pigs has been wiped out.
According to [a farmer] of Potika village in Agoro sub county who lost 5 head of cattle since the disease started, the situation is alarming and needs urgent attention. "Most of our animals start by losing appetite and feeling weak with diarrhoea," he said, adding that, "animal owners are trying to treat the animals by giving them salt and some herbs, including marijuana, but they have failed to recover." He revealed that the death of the animals has brought panic among residents in the affected areas, who are afraid that the disease may spread to humans.
Another resident affected by the strain in Aweno Olwi village, who has lost 7 goats, said that he was planning to sell the goats to raise school fees for his children, but that is not possible any more and it leaves him uncertain of where the money for the fees will be coming from. "I think the future of my children now is uncertain since I may not be able to raise enough money for the school fees for them," he said.
Officials have called on residents to restrict movement of animals where the disease is suspected in order to help prevent its spread. The chairman for Agoro sub-county Mr Ben Owali said that sub-county leaders identified the stain and alerted the District Veterinary Department in early September [2012], but they are yet to receive any adequate response. Adding further that "an air of uncertainty and panic looms over the residents and may bring with it some negative aspects because some of them have resorted to eating the dead animals."
Lamwo district veterinary officer, Dr Bosco Odonga Agena, however [lacked?] any knowledge of an outbreak of the disease in the district. When this paper called him to find out what had caused the deaths, he feigned ignorance and said he would establish the truth and had not got back to us by press time.
Meanwhile Gulu district on Sat 27 Oct 2012 issued a ban on the movement of cattle and sale of all dairy products in the district. According to Gulu district veterinary officer Tonny Aliro, the declaration followed the death of 60 cattle in the sub-counties of Odek, Lakwana, Awach, Patiko, and Bobi in Gulu district due to a suspected outbreak of the contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) disease.
Aliro explains that the animals started dying in September [2012] with Odek sub county alone registering 30 deaths. He said that it is suspected the disease filtered into the district following the entry of affected cows from Teso in April this year. Aliro said that an estimated 25 000 herds of cattle will be vaccinated with the CBPP vaccine once it arrives in the district, since it is not readily available.
Following the return process from internment camps, Acholi sub region is estimated to have a cattle population of only about 42 000 and residents say that the outbreak of the disease will have an impact on their efforts to resettle in their original villages.
Last year [2011], Food and Early Warnings Network reported that at least 19 districts were fighting to combat foot and mouth disease [FMD] -- a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease that affects cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs. The affected districts were Abim, Amudat, Amuria, Bukedea, Bukwa, Bulambuli, Gomba, and Isingiro. Others mentioned were Katakwi, Kumi, Kitgum, Nakapiripirit, Pallisa, Rakai, Sembabule Serere, Sironko, Soroti, and Tororo.
Early this year [2012], livestock markets in Kabale, Kiruhura, Kabarole, and Amuria districts were briefly closed due to the disease outbreak of FMD and African swine fever [ASF].
[byline: Livingstone Kidega]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Acholi is an ethnic group in Northern Uganda (an area commonly referred to as Acholiland, composed of the districts of Agago (78), Amuru (39), Gulu (17), Kitgum (42), Lamwo (97), Nwoya (107), and Pader (68) [numbered in the map below] and South Sudan (Magwe County).
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/45kA. A map showing Acholiland can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/cx798ct. The current districts that compose the region (numbered above) can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda.
The news item above is -- epidemiologically -- rather blurred, describing a concerning situation with regard to animal health. It includes suspicions of infectious diseases in several animal species (cattle, pigs, goats) while mentioning specifically FMD, CBPP, and ASF.
First-hand veterinary information is urgently needed from official national or international authorities, or from reliable, politically independent, professionally equipped NGOs.
The death of goats in Agoro sub-county and the description from Potika village in Agoro of a lethal cattle disease which "starts by losing appetite and feeling weak with diarrhoea," illustrates the need to exclude other pathogens, including morbillivirus. - Mod.AS]
See Also
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - Uganda: (West) RFI 20120715.1202191
2010
---
Undiagnosed deaths, porcine - Uganda: (LW) RFI 20100707.2260
2009
---
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Uganda: (GL) susp 20090810.2839
2007
---
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Uganda: susp, RFI 20071103.3575
2003
---
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Uganda 20030908.2257
.................................................sb/arn/mj/sh
http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20121114.1408510
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 12 Nov 2012
Source: Acholi Times [edited]
http://www.acholitimes.com/index.ph...disease-depleting-livestock-in-lamwo-district
Contagious disease depleting livestock in Lamwo district
--------------------------------------------------------
A yet-to-be identified contagious disease has killed over 100 herds of livestock in several sub-counties in Lamwo in the last 2 months causing panic among residents who are now afraid of losing their entire stock if the disease is not checked.
Over 50 head of cattle and more than 60 of goats are said to have died in the 4 sub-counties of Agoro, Lokung, Padibe, and Madi Opei and almost the entire population of pigs have been wiped out with only a handful being treated. In the 3 villages of Awena Olwiyo, Ngomoromo, and Apuk, almost the entire population of pigs has been wiped out.
According to [a farmer] of Potika village in Agoro sub county who lost 5 head of cattle since the disease started, the situation is alarming and needs urgent attention. "Most of our animals start by losing appetite and feeling weak with diarrhoea," he said, adding that, "animal owners are trying to treat the animals by giving them salt and some herbs, including marijuana, but they have failed to recover." He revealed that the death of the animals has brought panic among residents in the affected areas, who are afraid that the disease may spread to humans.
Another resident affected by the strain in Aweno Olwi village, who has lost 7 goats, said that he was planning to sell the goats to raise school fees for his children, but that is not possible any more and it leaves him uncertain of where the money for the fees will be coming from. "I think the future of my children now is uncertain since I may not be able to raise enough money for the school fees for them," he said.
Officials have called on residents to restrict movement of animals where the disease is suspected in order to help prevent its spread. The chairman for Agoro sub-county Mr Ben Owali said that sub-county leaders identified the stain and alerted the District Veterinary Department in early September [2012], but they are yet to receive any adequate response. Adding further that "an air of uncertainty and panic looms over the residents and may bring with it some negative aspects because some of them have resorted to eating the dead animals."
Lamwo district veterinary officer, Dr Bosco Odonga Agena, however [lacked?] any knowledge of an outbreak of the disease in the district. When this paper called him to find out what had caused the deaths, he feigned ignorance and said he would establish the truth and had not got back to us by press time.
Meanwhile Gulu district on Sat 27 Oct 2012 issued a ban on the movement of cattle and sale of all dairy products in the district. According to Gulu district veterinary officer Tonny Aliro, the declaration followed the death of 60 cattle in the sub-counties of Odek, Lakwana, Awach, Patiko, and Bobi in Gulu district due to a suspected outbreak of the contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) disease.
Aliro explains that the animals started dying in September [2012] with Odek sub county alone registering 30 deaths. He said that it is suspected the disease filtered into the district following the entry of affected cows from Teso in April this year. Aliro said that an estimated 25 000 herds of cattle will be vaccinated with the CBPP vaccine once it arrives in the district, since it is not readily available.
Following the return process from internment camps, Acholi sub region is estimated to have a cattle population of only about 42 000 and residents say that the outbreak of the disease will have an impact on their efforts to resettle in their original villages.
Last year [2011], Food and Early Warnings Network reported that at least 19 districts were fighting to combat foot and mouth disease [FMD] -- a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease that affects cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs. The affected districts were Abim, Amudat, Amuria, Bukedea, Bukwa, Bulambuli, Gomba, and Isingiro. Others mentioned were Katakwi, Kumi, Kitgum, Nakapiripirit, Pallisa, Rakai, Sembabule Serere, Sironko, Soroti, and Tororo.
Early this year [2012], livestock markets in Kabale, Kiruhura, Kabarole, and Amuria districts were briefly closed due to the disease outbreak of FMD and African swine fever [ASF].
[byline: Livingstone Kidega]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Acholi is an ethnic group in Northern Uganda (an area commonly referred to as Acholiland, composed of the districts of Agago (78), Amuru (39), Gulu (17), Kitgum (42), Lamwo (97), Nwoya (107), and Pader (68) [numbered in the map below] and South Sudan (Magwe County).
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/45kA. A map showing Acholiland can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/cx798ct. The current districts that compose the region (numbered above) can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda.
The news item above is -- epidemiologically -- rather blurred, describing a concerning situation with regard to animal health. It includes suspicions of infectious diseases in several animal species (cattle, pigs, goats) while mentioning specifically FMD, CBPP, and ASF.
First-hand veterinary information is urgently needed from official national or international authorities, or from reliable, politically independent, professionally equipped NGOs.
The death of goats in Agoro sub-county and the description from Potika village in Agoro of a lethal cattle disease which "starts by losing appetite and feeling weak with diarrhoea," illustrates the need to exclude other pathogens, including morbillivirus. - Mod.AS]
See Also
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - Uganda: (West) RFI 20120715.1202191
2010
---
Undiagnosed deaths, porcine - Uganda: (LW) RFI 20100707.2260
2009
---
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Uganda: (GL) susp 20090810.2839
2007
---
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Uganda: susp, RFI 20071103.3575
2003
---
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia - Uganda 20030908.2257
.................................................sb/arn/mj/sh
http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20121114.1408510