16 May 2020

At least 54 cattle have died in Gasita/Lerolwane farm areas in the last two months following an outbreak of Bovine Malignant Catarrhal (MCF) disease.

MCF is an infectious systemic disease that presents as a variable complex of lesions affecting mainly ruminants and rarely on pigs, adding it is principally a disease of domestic cattle, buffalo, wildebeest and deer.

Veterinary officials have revealed that there was no licensed treatment or commercial vaccine available that could be administered to the cattle.

In an interview with BOPA, Gasita Veterinary Services technical officer, Mr Ketsetswenabo Mmitsi said they were aware that farmers had lost a considerable number of cattle as a result of the disease, adding that so far, 11 farmers had reported deaths due to the disease.

The disease spreads through close contact with black wildebeests, which have currently migrated into the area, he said.

He said this time around such cases seemed to have risen as a result of the magnitude of rains and pastures, thus attracting more wildebeests.

Mr Mmitsi indicated that, due to the wild animals’ presence in the area, they ended up sharing the pastures with cattle. He however advised farmers to report such cases as this could assist government in establishing the extent and seriousness of the disease.

Furthermore, he advised that the best way to avoid the disease was to relocate cattle during the wildebeest migration season.

For his part, Kanye Wildlife and National Parks senior wildlife ranger, Mr Jackson Thupeng said they had heeded the farmers’ grievances about the spreading of the disease, noting that they had since deployed officers to monitor the situation and plans were underway to arrange a helicopter to locate and establish the total number of wildebeest in the area.

He said upon completion of the exercise, they would mobilise for their capture and translocate them to Kutse Game Reserve.

Currently there is no provision for compensation to farmers whose cattle had died of the disease. ENDS