27 Jan 2022

Proper sanitary provisions in farms are key in preventing Measles that continues to be one of the major factors affecting the beef production sector countrywide.

In an interview, Dr Wapapha Modala, Senior Veterinary officer in Kanye indicated that beef measles prevalence in Kanye Sub-District was currently at 8.1 per cent.

He said from 1 376 cattle slaughtered in Kanye last year, 112 cattle were detained due to  measles.

“One carcass was condemned and disposed, he added.

To effectively win the fight against measles, Dr Modala said it was crucial to eliminate human faeces from the pasture grass to prevent transmission of beef tape worms from humans to the cattle.

He further explained that measles could not be transmitted from one cow to another.

Toilets, he said must be constructed and in cases where toilets were not available, human faeces should be buried deep into the ground to prevent contaminating pasture grass.

Dr Modala highlighted that deworming of the human subject could also be effective in combating measles, however he said that should not stop efforts to rid human faeces off pasture grass.

In an effort to manage measles, the government through Department of Veterinary Services had introduced post mortem inspection of carcasses in slaughter facilities to ensure that meat consumed by the community was wholesome and did not contain beef measles cyst.

Kanye’s Senior Veterinary officer indicated that the government also carried out public education and sensitisation regarding prevention of beef measles, as well as involvement of interested stakeholders such as Ministry of Health and Wellness in plans to mass-deworm the human subject.

He advised farmers who lived especially in close proximity to built-up areas to ensure that their cattle did not get access to any form of sewage or sewage water.

Herd boys, he said should be dewormed regularly since they were almost always in contact with the pastures where their cattle grazed.

Dr Modala defined beef measles as a fluid filled cyst that occurs mainly in active muscles, adding that it was a visible damage seen at post mortem examination.

“The cyst contains an immature tapeworm,” he lamented.

He explained that humans were the host of the adult tape worms which inhabits the human small intestine and rarely causes any symptoms in humans.

Dr Modala said the adult tapeworms released eggs that were then passed by the carrier human in faeces.

When a carrier defecated on pasture grass, he said the eggs were deposited into the grass and later swallowed by grazing cows, adding that the eggs then developed into larva and mature as cysts in muscle tissue in cattle.

Kanye’s Senior Veterinary officer highlighted that measles affected the beef production industry through loss of revenue from condemned carcasses which failed post mortem due to presence of beef measles cyst.

He said some carcasses that were not severely affected were cold treated, which also came at a cost to both the farmer and the slaughter facility.

“That means the farmer does not make much profit from their cattle or even complete loss due to condemned carcasses which are disposed off,” he said. Ends