Foot and Mouth breaks out in Eastern Province
Cases of foot and mouth disease has been reported in Nyagatare district, Eastern Province, KT Press can exclusively report.
Our reporter on ground, Sebasaza Gasana Emmanuel reports 13 cows have been marked with the disease.
KT Press learnt that the disease was first detected in Marongero area in Ryabega Cell where 13 cows belonged to one farmer named Wilson Rusakuma were put in quarantine as part of curbing the propagation of the disease.
Rusakuma told KT Press that the infectious disease came from Gabiro area which was recently affected by the disease.
“The cows I bought from Gabiro area in September, following the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease might have kept the virus until it resurfaced later on,” Rusakuma said.
The disease was reportedly detected last Saturday and Rusakuma informed officials of Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) to quickly intervene.
In May, the foot and mouth disease broke out in Gabiro area in Nyagatare District.
Over 100 cows were quarantined in a bid to stop the spread of the disease.
Justin Zimurinda, the head of animal husbandry in Eastern Province in RAB said that efforts to curb the disease were hampered by some farmers that didn’t get their cattle vaccinated when others were being treated in Gabiro Military barracks.
Other measures put in place to contain further spread of the disease include halting cattle movement and market operations in the area.
RAB has established an emergency treatment center in Marongero area to avail animal medical services and immunize them before having access to shared cattle dams.
Cows from Nyagatare District are ferried in trucks to Kigali City even up to Goma and Bukavu in DRC.
Statistics released by Nyagatare District authorities show that 500 cattle are sold every week and 60,000 liters of milk are supplied to Inyange Industries.
In a four month-period starting from May, Rwanda incurred a loss worth $ 10 million due to the foot-mouth disease, Minister of Agriculture told police officers today attending the high council of police at its headquarters based at Kacyiru.
