Uganda: Foot and Mouth Disease Hits Mukono
UGANDA - When his cow lost appetite, Fred Musa feared it had been bewitched. "I fed it with omululuza (a local herb)," he says. "But it died after four days." When news of his cow's death spread, a team of veterinary officers was dispatched to Njeru town council.
4 September 2008
1 minute read
It was discovered that the cow had died of the deadly foot and mouth disease (FMD).
Henceforth, the district banned cattle movement in Njeru. Subsequent investigations in the district also showed the disease's presence in Nakisunga and Nyenga sub-counties. A Quarantine was imposed in those areas.
Mukono has 24 sub-counties and four town councils. According to Dr. Fred Mukulu, the director of production, it is the first time in 20-years that Mukono has registered an FMD outbreak. FMD has a very fast multiplier effect. "It can wipe out cattle if not contained urgently," says Mukulu.
The first case of the deadly disease was reported in June. FMD is a contagious disease.
It causes dizziness in an affected animal as well as excess mucus and saliva discharge through the mouth. The animal dies within seven days. About 10 cattle have died of FMD in Mukono.
Source: AllAfrica.com
