Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak Reported in Trans Nzoia

Worry has gripped livestock farmers in Trans Nzoia County following a reported outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

With the disease affecting several livestock so far, some of the farmers have already opted to use magadi soda and mud in an attempt to treat it.

The disease has affected mostly livestock within Sukwo area in Saboti Constituency within the last three months – leaving the animals unable to walk on their own.

officials from livestock department conducting asurvey to know the number of sick animals after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in trans nzoia — Officials from Livestock Department conducting a survey to know the number of sick animals after an outbreak of the Foot and Mouth disease in Trans Nzoia. Photo/Kabaraji Richard.

“We carry them to feeding fields and back. This is giving us a hard time as some of the cows are huge and cannot fit into a wheelbarrow. We are now forced to use a cart to move them around,” said Joseph Wafula, one of the affected farmers.

How farmers are treating Foot and Mouth disease

Most of the affected livestock have bruises on the mouth hence cannot eat on their own.

“We feed them using a byproduct from busaa known as, munaa, a local brew and that is what has kept them alive to this long with some farmers losing their stock,” Wafula said.

The farmers say their effort to dip the animals in mud has not helped asone of them lost his cow after it got stuck in the mud paddle.

“We use mud to cover the wounds but it is really affecting us. Most animals get stuck forcing us to call in vehicles to pull them out.”

The County Government of Trans Nzoia has since rolled out a vaccination exercise. Under the initiative, farmers are being given free drugs to counter the disease.

agriculture CECEM Phanice khatundi[in glasses] leading a vaccination exercise to reduce the number of animals affected by foot and mouth in trans nzoia county — Trans Nzoia Agriculture CECM Phanice Khatundi (in glasses) leading a vaccination exercise to reduce the number of animals affected by the Foot and Mouth disease. Photo/Kabaraji Richard.

Agriculture County Executive Committee Member Phanice Khatundi has also ordered for the closure of livestock markets as a measure to minimise spread of the Foot and Mouth disease.

“Our county being a transit between Bungoma and West pokot increases the rate at which the disease is being transmitted,” Khatundi said.

She added that: “we have sent enough personnel in the ground to see to it that the disease is contained; saving the farmers from the losses they are experiencing with the county government catering for all the medicine.”

How to reduce risk of Foot and Mouth

Meanwhile, the County Executive has advised farmers to uphold high hygiene on their animals and use magadi soda as a preventive measure.

On the meat market, CECM Khatundi announced a ban on the slaughtering of animals at home. This is to avert the spread of the disease to humans.

“Let the locals refrain from slaughtering animals at home especially if they have festivals and rather use slaughterhouses where public health officials will inspect the meat to see if it is fit for human consumption.”