logo
ADVERTISEMENT

Kitui launches vaccination of livestock against killer diseases

Exercise targets half a million animals and will continue until end of April.

image
by MUSEMBI NZENGU

Realtime20 March 2024 - 11:40
ADVERTISEMENT

In Summary


  • Kimwele on Wednesday called on farmers to take their animals for the jab to keep them free of killer diseases.
  • The government is also vaccinating dogs against rabies and deworming donkeys.
Kitui CEC for Agriculture and Livestock Stephen Kimwele

The government of Kitui has rolled out a massive livestock vaccination against Rift Valley fever.

Kitui CEC for Agriculture and Livestock Stephen Kimwele said the exercise will go on until the end of April. It will also cover lumpy skin disease in cattle.

Kimwele on Wednesday called on farmers to take their animals for the jab to keep them free of killer diseases.

A vet in Mwingi North vaccinates goats

“The government is carrying out a countywide vaccination for animals against contagious caprine pleuropneumonia for goats, lumpy skin disease for cattle and Rift Valley fever,” the CEC said.

The government is also vaccinating dogs against rabies and deworming donkeys. Nearly half a million animals will be vaccinated.

A haers of goats and cattles seen in Mwingi North sub county in Kitui on Wednesday. The county government of Kitui has launched massive vaccination.

Rift Valley fever primarily affects animals but can also infect humans, Kimwele said.

The immunisation has been occasioned by an outbreak of the disease early this year. Kimwele said RVF is a “highly dangerous trans-county disease” that must be kept at bay by all means.

In January, Kimwele announced that the government of Kitui had partnered with Veterinaires Sans Frontiers of Germany to vaccinate goats and sheep following an outbreak of a deadly plague.

A donkey and its kid. Donkeys are also being dewormed.

The CEC said at the time that an outbreak of goat and sheep plagues had already killed young livestock.

The most affected areas were Mwingi North, Mwingi Central  and Kitui  East.

ADVERTISEMENT