Quarantine imposed on livestock movement in Kanungu
A farmer has his animals sprayed at a farm in Nakaseke District. Photo/File
What you need to know:
- “The quarantine, which affects cows, goats, sheep, pigs, and their products, will remain in force until further notice. The security forces in the area have been alerted to enforce the closure of animal markets and butcheries and any violation of the quarantine will be met with severe consequences,” Ms Mwajuma
Authorities in Kanungu District have imposed a quarantine on all livestock movements in the area following the confirmation of an anthrax outbreak.
Anthrax is a highly contagious disease transmissible between animals and humans and can spread through inhalation or ingestion of spores from contaminated soil, water or plants. The incubation period ranges from 1-3 days but can extend up to 60 days for inhalational anthrax.
According to the Kanungu District communications officer, Ms Adams Mwajuma Twaha, the quarantine which restricts cattle movement and their products was announced by the area Resident District Commissioner, Mr Ambrose Mwesigye during a news conference on September 17 after 63 cattle died from the disease, 28 others were reported sick and one human fatality recorded.
“The quarantine, which affects cows, goats, sheep, pigs, and their products, will remain in force until further notice. The security forces in the area have been alerted to enforce the closure of animal markets and butcheries and any violation of the quarantine will be met with severe consequences,” Ms Mwajuma said.
The Kanungu District Health Officer, Dr Mutahunga Birungi, provided the details of the disease during a district task force meeting, indicating that concerns over cattle deaths in Kambuga Sub-County were raised last month by District Veterinary Officer, Dr Aloysius Tumwesigye.
He said laboratory tests conducted at the National Animal Diseases Diagnostics and Epidemiological Centre (NADDEC) in Entebbe confirmed the presence of Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria responsible for anthrax, in three of five cattle samples submitted.
Ms Mwajuma Twaha said that health authorities in the district have since launched a vaccination campaign for cattle and issued advisories to bury carcasses and avoid consuming or slaughtering dead animals.
She said that cases of people affected by the disease were first reported on September 9 at Mburameizi Barracks Health Center III, where two men, who had slaughtered and consumed meat from a cow that had died on September 1, exhibited symptoms consistent with anthrax, including skin ulcers. On September 12, a man from Kambuga Sub-County died after slaughtering a dead cow, with two family members also presenting with skin lesions.
She added that as of September 17, 2024, Kanungu District had recorded 28 human anthrax cases, distributed across Kambuga Town Council (8), Katete Sub-County (10), Bugongi Sub-County (7), Kihihi Town Council (1), and Kambuga Sub-County (1). Two deaths have been confirmed, including a 31-year-old male from Rugari Cell, Kambuga Town Council, and an adult male from Kambuga Sub-County.
“Between 2017 and 2022, Uganda experienced 19 anthrax outbreaks in humans, primarily linked to the handling or consumption of infected meat. The most recent incidents occurred in Ibanda District in April 2023 and Kyotera District in November 2023, with the latter recording a case fatality rate of 19%,” Ms Mwajuma Twaha said.
