Cattle disease outbreak hits Katsina, kills 13 as govt vaccinates 3,000

President Buhari looking at cows

File Photos

 An outbreak of a cattle disease identified as Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia, CBPP has struck Katsina State and killing thirteen cows.

The outbreak were said to have been recorded over the weekend in Hayin Sheka, Sabuwar Kasa in Kafur local government area and Musawa local government with 10 and three cattles confirmed dead respectively.

The Director, Veterinary Services in the State’s Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Isa Abba who confirmed the development to Vanguard on Tuesday, said the outbreak occured in the state as a result of some cattle rearers or herders who went on grazing and return to the state with the disease.

Dr. Abba said though the government has since swung into action by intervening and has so far vaccinated about 3,000 in contact animals and all those in the surrounding villages of the affected areas.

The animals were vaccinated with drugs such as CBPP, Tysoline Injection, Long Acting antibiotics, Albendazole and Multivatimin Injection among others.

According to Dr. Abba, “We got information about the outbreak in Kafur from his neighbours who told us the man went on greener pasture in Kwara State and came back with the disease. We isolated the animals to avoid the spread. We report to the state government, investigated and recommended some drugs for vaccination.

“The disease started when he was in that area. We dont know the casualities. But right here he lost about 10 cattle’s before we intervened last week.

“On that of Musawa, the owner of the cattle’s went for grazing in Bauchi in Kano State. He came back with the same signs. When we interrogated him, he said he spent about eight months there.

On preventive measure to arrest future occurrence of such outbreak, Dr. Abba said, “We advised that the cattle rearer should inform the ministry whenever they are going for greener pasture so that we vaccinate them and give them vaccination record. They should also report to the ministry on return in order to investigate the animals.

“We advise them to report promptly any strange disease and symptoms before it escalated. We advise them not patronize quacks but professional doctors of husbandry.

“They should desist from self medication because there are fake drugs in the markets,” the Veterinary Director cautioned the cattle rearers or herders.

Dr. Abba said in 2017, the government had vaccinated 800,000 cattle’s against CBPP, 1.2 million sheep’s and goats against Peste-Des-Petit Ruminants (PPR) and 2,000 dogs against rabbies to the tune of N40 million while planning to carry out similar exercise by August this year.