Four Rakai cattle markets closed over fever outbreak

What you need to know:

  • Measures. District authorities have also temporarily banned the slaughter of cattle and sale of dairy products.

Kampala. Rakai veterinary specialists and leaders have closed four major cattle markets in the district following an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in neighbouring Isingiro District.
Two people and seven cows have already died of the fever.
The closed markets include; Ddyango and Kamuli in Kyalulangira and Kiziba sub-counties, respectively. Others are Kacheera and Lwamagwa livestock markets.
Livestock farmers in Kyalulangira under their umbrella body Nyekundire Farmers’ Association say the district authorities had been reluctant to close the markets in the past one month over revenue.
“We have been telling them to close the markets but they were looking at revenue likely to be lost. People’s health is more important than the targeted revenue from cattle traders. Even the Foot and Mouth disease could have been contained a long time ago if those people [district authorities] were vigilant,” Mr Robert Kanyete, the association chairperson, said in an interview on Tuesday.

Symptoms
RVF is a haemorrhagic fever that manifests with symptoms such as high fever, intense fatigue, anorexia, headache, cough, jaundice and bleeding from all body openings.
However, the district veterinary officer, Mr Erias Kizito Nsubuga, said the closure of the markets followed a directive from anti-stock safety unit to control the spread.
“RVF has not yet extended to Rakai, but we closed the markets to prevent it from spreading to our district since traders buy cattle from different farms, including those in Isingiro ,” Dr Nsubuga said.
He said they had also temporarily imposed a ban on the slaughter of cattle and sale of dairy products such as milk as they monitor the situation.
Dr Nsubuga said the fever will not spread to the district due to their robust surveillance system.
“We have capacity in responding to outbreaks and we have proved that over the years,” he said.
The outbreak comes after leaders in the cattle corridor districts of Nakasongola, Nakaseke and Luweero blamed the constant outbreak of foot and mouth disease on porous borders.
The leaders claim some infected animals are smuggled into the country from Tanzania.
Livestock farmers have suffered unending outbreak of FMD since 2015, prompting government to place them under quarantine.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the fever can be transmitted to people either by tick bites or contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter.