By Chris Woo
 
Nwoya district has vaccinated close to 4,600 herds of cattle as the district grapples with a fresh outbreak of the foot and mouth disease FMD.
 
The vaccination exercise majorly covered Anaka, Purongo and Lungulu Sub Counties that were largely affected by FMD barely two months ago.
 
Dr. James Ukwir, the Nwoya district veterinary officer says their target is to vaccinate at least 5,000 herds of cattle.
 
"Most of the livestock we have vaccinated are no longer showing signs of the disease and we have put our farmers on the lookout. We want to vaccinate more because our target is 5,000 by the end of this week and by the beginning of next month, we don’t want to see this disease anymore in the affected areas", he said.
 
Jackson Kinyera, a livestock farmer in Lawiokot village Purongo Sub County earlier said their Lawiokot Cooperative farmer’s society lost 39 out of 839 cattle just within only two weeks in five kraals. He however says most of the cattle that have been vaccinated are recovering.
 
"This disease was a scare when it just broke out. But most of them are the verge of recovery. The only major challenge we have now is that we are unable to cater for their feeds since we lost a lot of money since last month as we were struggling to get their medication", he said.
 
Benson Oto, the LC3 chairperson Purongo Sub County says close to 95 percent of cattle farmers in his area embraced the vaccination but wants the government to expedite the vaccination exercise to cover all other areas which could have missed out.

"I want to appreciate the farmers who came out to embrace this exercise. This is for our own good. Most of us in this area depend on animals either directly or indirectly and if they all die, we shall lose out. But we still want to ask government to provide more of the vaccines to some areas like areas in Gotngu parish which missed out", he said.

He also appreciated farmers in general for being cooperative during the ongoing exercise which will end on Friday.
 
Authorities in the district have earlier on banned the transportation and consumption of meat products and a strict enforcement of quarantine following the increasing cases of the disease.
 
Emmanuel Orac the LCV chairperson Nwoya district says this is part of the raft of measures to contain the disease.
 
Foot and Mouth Disease-FMD is a highly contagious livestock disease that has a significant economic impact. The disease affects cattle, goat, sheep, swine and other cloven hoven ruminates.

An infected animal presents with fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, mouth, teats and between the hooves.


COVER PHOTO: Some of the cattle being vaccinated against FMD in Nwoya. Photo by Chris Woo.