Kitui county government has started the vaccination of chickens to stop infection by the deadly new castle disease.
Speaking on Tuesday in Kitui town, county deputy director of livestock Josephat Maluki said 200,000 doses had been acquired.
He said the vaccination of the fowls was important because the disease could wipe out estimated three million chickens in Kitui
Maluki also said after the new castle, vaccination against chicken pox will be launched.
The vaccination comes at a time when livestock keepers in many areas of Kitui have reported the outbreaks of new castle and chickenpox leaving a high number of fowls decimated.
A recent report on food security in the county associated the eruption of diseases with the drought.
The last July assessment report of the food security situation after the failed March-May rains by the Kitui county steering group said food scarcity had led to the emergence of an avalanche of livestock diseases.
Maluki said the only way to prevent the losses was through vaccination and infected fowls stand little chance of surviving.
The veterinarian said every year the county government sets aside at least Sh10 million for the purchase of vaccines for various species of livestock including cattle, sheep and goats, dogs, cats and donkeys.
He said vaccination of livestock especially against zoonotic diseases was prudent as it stops cross-infection between humans and livestock.
Maluki said anthrax and rabies were common zoonotic diseases in Kitui.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
