Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Livestock farmers in Madi Opei sub county of Lamwo district are struggling with a strange infectious disease outbreak which has claimed several cattle.
Farmers say an infected animal presents with foam on the mouth, weight loss, and loss of appetite, exhaustion, swollen hooves within a few days. They say the internal organs of the dead animal turn yellow in colour.
The Madi Opei sub county LC III chairperson Charles Okwera Obong says the disease that was first observed in September 2020 this year has so far claimed over 70 cattle in Kal, Lawiye Oduny and Okol parishes.
He says the most affected villages are Kapeta, Tekiula, Kakira, Kirombe and Kwiri in Okol Parish, Kal Central, Gem, Poyamo and Popany in Kal parish and Locimidik and Lokora in Lawiye, Oduny parish.
According to Obong, they have already communicated the problem to the District Veterinary Department to establish the disease and possible solution to avoid massive loss of animals.
Richard Burton Okema, a resident of Kirombe village lost three cows to the strange disease.
According to Okema, his efforts to get assistance from veterinary personnel to vaccinate the animals didn’t yield results.
Lamwo district production officer, Cyrus Komakech denied knowledge of any outbreak of the strange livestock disease. He however advised the affected farmers to report cases to veterinary officers in their respective communities.
According to Komakech, besides sub county field facilitators, the department has dispatched a team of veterinary experts to follow up on the claims of the strange livestock disease.
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