Anthrax breaks out in Bududa district, 10 cows dead
An outbreak of Anthrax disease has been reported in Bududa District.
This follows the death of 10 cows in Bumabara village, in Bunatsami sub-county.
The Bududa District Agriculture Officer Dr. Felix Odongo says that tests carried out by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) on Thursday confirmed the disease.
He says one person succumbed to the disease and 13 others are undergoing treatment after eating meat from an infected cow. He adds that they have tentatively halted the sale of animals in the open market and also no movement of animals in and out of the district.
Augustine Wamini, the Bunatsami Sub County councilor noted that the incident has caused fear among the residents because meat from infected animals was being sold in the markets.
According to WHO for Animal Health, infected animals may present with high fever, muscle tremors, and difficulty breathing seen shortly before the animal collapses and dies.Unclotted blood may exude from all the natural openings and the body may not stiffen after death.
Although routine vaccination has been identified as the only viable preventive measure, local governments often rely on donations from other organizations to acquire the vaccines.
In 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries upgraded Anthrax as a priority bacterial animal disease but the government has not started supplying the necessary vaccines to local governments.
