By Bondry Kilenga
In a significant step to combat Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has dispatched over 151,000 doses of vaccines to Kotido district.
Joseph Longoli the district veterinary officer confirmed the development, adding that the vaccines will be administered to cows, goats, sheep, and pigs in April 2025, marking a crucial effort in controlling the spread of FMD, a highly contagious viral disease.
He says the vaccines are free and will be administered at cattle sheds across the district, urging the farmers who had migrated to the neighboring district in search for water and pasture for their animals to return home.
The initiative, according to Dr. Longole is part of the ministry’s efforts to control trans-border diseases, highlighting the importance of cooperation and coordination in preventing the spread of diseases.
Additionally, Dr. Longole advises farmers to deworm their animals and spray them to prevent tick-borne diseases, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to animal health.
Facts about Foot and Mouth Disease.
Dr. Robert Ojala, the Veterinary Inspector in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries in charge of Teso-Karamoja regions describes Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) as a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cattle and swine.
It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. FMD is not recognized as a zoonotic disease.
According to him, the disease spreads very quickly if not controlled and because of this is a reportable disease.
Causes
Dr. Ojala highlights that foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus of which there are seven ‘types,’ each producing the same symptoms and distinguishable only in the laboratory.
“The interval between exposure to infection and the appearance of symptoms varies between twenty-four hours and ten days, or even longer. The average time, under natural conditions, is three to six days,” he says.
Dr. Ojala explains that the virus survives in lymph nodes and bone marrow at neutral pH, but is destroyed in the muscle when pH is less than 6.0.
He adds that Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks have been linked with the importation of infected meat and meat products and that the disease can also be spread by people, vehicles and other objects that have been contaminated by the virus.
Dr. Ojala outlines fever, blisters in the mouth and on feet, drop in milk production, weight loss, loss of appetite, quivering lips and frothing of mouth. Cows may develop blisters on teats and lameness as some of the symptoms the affected cattle presents.
Prevention
According to the Cattle Site, Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the most difficult animal infections to control because the disease occurs in many parts of the world.
FMD outbreaks are usually controlled by quarantines and movement restrictions, euthanasia of affected and in-contact animals, and cleansing and disinfection of affected premises, equipment and vehicles.
Infected carcasses must be disposed off safely by incineration, rendering, burial or other techniques. Milk from infected cows can be inactivated by heating to 100°C [212°F] for more than 20 minutes. Slurry can be heated to 67°C [153°F] for three minutes.
Rodents and other vectors may be killed to prevent them from mechanically disseminating the virus.
Good biosecurity measures should be practiced on uninfected farms to prevent entry of the virus.
Treatment
Vaccination can be used to reduce the spread of FMD or protect specific animals. Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines must closely match the serotype and strain of the infecting strain.
However, vaccination with one serotype does not protect the animal against other serotypes, and may not protect the animal completely or at all from other strains of the same serotype. Currently, there is no universal FMD vaccine.
