The Baringo county government does not have drugs to treat an outbreak of a bacterial disease among camels, county veterinary director John Wameyo has said.
“Going by the symptoms, we have identified the deadly disease as enterotoxaemia-bacterial disease spread as a result of animals drinking dirty water," he told the Star on Tuesday.
"The disease requires special antibiotics and vaccination. As a department, we don’t have any stock of medication at the moment."
The camels drank dirty water during the prolonged drought in the county, resulting in the outbreak.
A sick camel loses appetite, becomes weak and emaciated, breaths heavily and produces a lot of saliva resulting in death.
Wameyo spoke on Tuesday in Moigutwo, Baringo North subcounty during the launch of a vaccination targeting more than 800,000. Cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys, dogs and cats. The animals are being vaccinated against Foot and Mouth, Peste Petis de Ruminaurs and rabies.
The one-month drive will be carried out at 517 sites in Baringo North, Baringo Central, Tiaty, Baringo South, Mogotio and Eldama-Ravine subcounties. The synchronised vaccination project has also been done in the neighbouring Samburu and Laikipia counties.
The vaccination is funded by the World Bank, the national and county governments.
Ripko-Kositei MCA Daniel Tuwit said more than 200 camels have died in Chesitet, Kapaw, Kongor, Silale, Amaya, Chesakam, Riongo, Ameyan, Kasakaram and Lorwatum villages in Tiaty subcounty since April.
Agriculture executive Richard Rotich urged the farmers to take the vaccination seriously because diseases reduce productivity of the animals.
“I am encouraging all livestock farmers from the region to turn out in large numbers for their livestock to get vaccinated against such livestock diseases," said Dr. Rotich.
Last week, Tuwit said many residents have fallen sick after eating the carcasses of dead or sick camels.
He said the majority people who ate the meat started vomiting and having diarrhoea.
“As more camels continue dying, many illiterate people are eating uninspected meat…I call upon the government to dispatch health experts to address the situation,” Tuwit said.
