Livestock vaccination drive is launched in Hlabisa

THE Department of Agriculture and Land Reform has launched a vaccination drive for calves aged 4-8 months, which will be implemented at all dip tanks in the uMkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, uThukela and uMzinyathi districts.

The department said this step was in line with priorities related to food security, economic growth and rural development.

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A vaccination drive was launched in Hlabisa on Tuesday by the MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, who said the province was experiencing an outbreak of an animal-borne bacterial disease, brucellosis, which causes abortion, infertility, reduced milk production and weak joints in livestock.

‘More than 400 cows tested positive in the northern parts of the province this year. The high number of infections threatens the livelihood of the majority of rural livestock, as well as holding risk for consumers of raw meat or fresh milk from the infected dairy cows, goats and sheep,’ Sithole-Moloi said.

She said according to a Veterinary Services report, the status of brucellosis in KZN indicates 635 positive cases over the past three years.

‘There were 73 in 2018, 139 in 2019 and 423, this year. The report states that 70% of the cases can be traced to communal dip tanks in the north of the province, where there is generally poor compliance with brucellosis vaccination and testing.

‘The increase in the north can be attributed to the availability of few private veterinarians, lack of resources to contain the disease, lack of compliance from livestock owners, as well as the close proximity to neighbouring countries such as Mozambique and Swaziland which have porous border security.’

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