The Bomet county government will from the end of this month start vaccinating more than 150,000 head of cattle against black water and foot and mouth diseases.
The exercise will cost the Sh7 million, according to the county director of veterinary services Wilson Serem. The target areas are Chepalungu, Bomet East, Bomet Central, Konoin and Sotik.
The vaccination is done every six months.
“We have not had any reported cases of animals developing signs of the diseases of late. This is something we do repeatedly as an anticipatory measure since we border the two counties of Narok and Nyamira where animals frequently pass through,” Serem said.
He said his officers have mapped out all areas across the county prone to diseases.
Dogs and cats will also be vaccinated against rabies.
Serem asked farmers to present their cows and pets for vaccination. “We have had cases of some people keeping their animals and those are the animals that spread diseases,” he said.
In 2014, one person died of rabies at Sigor in Chepalungu after he was bitten by a dog. Another died the following year at Kipsonoi in Sotik after eating the meat of an animal suspected to have had anthrax.
