ANTHRAX SCARE IN KISII COUNTY

By Elizabeth Angira

Worth Noting:

• “The contagious disease spreads quickly among livestock through body fluids, wool and hair from infected animals or soil and pasture that has come into contact with infected animals,” Monda explained.
• He said that signs of the decease include; high fever, muscle tremors, difficult breathing and blood exuding from body openings.
• Dr Monday said that the County Government is committed to improving agricultural standards within the county and appealed to livestock farmers to ensure they present their livestock for the jab.
• “We have informed our farmers to gather their animals at the nearest chief’s camps and designated vaccinated centres for the exercise,” said Monda.

Kisii County Veterinary Services Department has been put on high alert following a recent outbreak of the deadly Anthrax disease in Bomariba Ward, Bonchari Sub – County.

The reported outbreak has caused panic among Bonchari residents with fear of handling contaminated animal products unknowingly.

As a result, the department has since embarked on a mass vaccination campaign of livestock as a precautionary measure against the spread of the disease into other parts of the county.

Speaking during the launch of the vaccination exercise at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre (ATC), Kisii County Deputy Governor Dr. Robert Monda said anthrax can be fatal and urged Kisii County farmers to present their animals for vaccination.

“The contagious disease spreads quickly among livestock through body fluids, wool and hair from infected animals or soil and pasture that has come into contact with infected animals,” Monda explained.

He said that signs of the decease include; high fever, muscle tremors, difficult breathing and blood exuding from body openings.

Dr Monday  said that the County Government is committed to improving agricultural standards within the county and appealed to livestock farmers to ensure they present their livestock for the jab.

“We have informed our farmers to gather their animals at the nearest chief’s camps and designated vaccinated centres for the exercise,” said Monda.

The Deputy Governor also instructed County agricultural officers to be on the lookout for other disease outbreaks in the county and up their surveillance.

On his part, Chief Officer in the department of Livestock and Veterinary Services Dr. Alphanas Mokaya said they will ensure the disease doesn’t spread to other areas because the contagious disease poses severe threat to human and animal health.

“We will ensure that the disease does not spread to other areas by rapid vaccinations and restricting movement of animals from the affected area,” Dr. Mokaya noted.

He continued, “I am asking residents of Bonchari and surrounding areas to be careful not to come into contact with infected animals by either eating or touching their carcases as this will greatly reduce mortality rates.”

According to World Health organization (WHO) Anthrax is primarily a zoonotic disease in herbivores caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. Humans generally acquire the disease directly or indirectly from infected animals, or through occupational exposure to infected or contaminated animal products.

Anthrax in humans is not generally regarded as contagious, although rare records of person-to-person transmission exist.

Anthrax bacteria can survive in the environment for decades by forming spores. In its most common natural form called cutaneous anthrax over 95% of cases

The County Government of Kisii has already procured over 20,000 doses of the vaccine for successful execution of the exercise.