Vet Dept ups tick-borne diseases war
MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-In a concerted effort to combat the devastating impact of tick-borne diseases on livestock, the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) is spearheading a comprehensive strategy to safeguard the health and productivity of Zimbabwe’s animal population.
According to Dr. Pious Makaya, the Chief Director of Veterinary Services, tick-borne diseases have accounted for more than 60% of annual livestock mortalities, with January Disease alone responsible for over 75% of these fatalities.
“It is therefore imperative that DVS formulates various control strategies to address tick-borne diseases and reduce their impact on animal health and production,” Dr. Makaya emphasized.
To this end, the DVS has adopted the Integrated Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Control Strategy (ITTBDCS), which serves as the cornerstone of their efforts.
A key component of this strategy is the strategic dipping of cattle, where dipping activities are complemented by continuous monitoring of acaricide resistance to ensure the effectiveness of the program.
“The use of Tick-Borne Disease (TBD) vaccines against Theileriosis (January Disease), Anaplasmosis (Gall Sickness), and Babesiosis (Redwater) is one of the key components in the implementation of the ITTBDCS,” Dr. Makaya added.
In the upcoming 2024/2025 summer season, the DVS is targeting the production of more than 350,000 doses of the January Disease vaccine (BOLVAC), 100,000 doses each of the Redwater and Gall Sickness vaccines.
This ambitious vaccination drive aims to increase coverage and provide comprehensive protection for the country’s livestock.
Alongside the vaccination efforts, the DVS has also set its sights on rehabilitating 5,000 dip tanks, with 396 already completed.
The department has also stocked up on adequate dipping chemicals to ensure weekly dipping during the summer season, targeting one million households.
In addition to the vaccination drive, the DVS is also conducting extensive tsetse fly and Trypanosomiasis disease surveillance, covering 12,500 km2 in the tsetse-infected and high-risk areas.
This initiative will deploy 17,800 tsetse targets and tsetse odor sachets along a 445 km stretch from Kariba Lakeshore in Mola to Mututa Basin in Mbire District.
“For the 2024/2025 breeding season, DVS is targeting to produce a total of 100,000 cattle semen straws of various breeds,” Dr. Makaya revealed, highlighting the Directorate’s efforts to boost livestock productivity.
Dr. Makaya emphasized the importance of these comprehensive efforts, highlighting the need “to effectively control tick-borne diseases (TBDs)” to safeguard the health and productivity of Zimbabwe’s livestock, ensuring the resilience and sustainability of the country’s vital agricultural sector.