Nsanje registers 929 foot and mouth disease cases

Nsanje district principal agriculture officer Whytone Fole says they have intensified preventive measures to control the spread of foot and mouth disease in the Shire Valley region.

Speaking in an interview on Sunday, he said the disease has spread to two other traditional authorities (T/As) a month after the outbreak was reported in Senior Chief Tengani’s area.

“The other affected T/As are Mbenje and Mlolo. As of August 31 2022, Nsanje had registered 929 foot and mouth disease cases in 115 kraals in the three areas,” said Fole.

He said they will intensify control measures, including restriction of movement of animals from the affected areas. He added that they have closed slaughter houses and have banned the sale of meat.

Said Fole: “We have already mounted two road blocks on the M1 in the district to enforce the restrictions. Our office vaccinated all animals in T/A Tengani.

“We have written the Ministry of Agriculture to give us more vaccines to vaccinate animals in the other T/As.” 

Meanwhile, the ban on the sale of meat and animals has caused panic to residents and businesspeople in the district as traders have raised prices of other commodities such as chicken and fish.

Nsanje Market Butchers Association chairperson Edward Mazonda said the disease has affected their businesses.

“We are working with the agriculture office to contain the disease so that we should go back to our business. If the disease continues to spread, our families will suffer,” he said.

During a visit to the market on Sunday, it was discovered that traders had run out of chickens.

The disease was first registered in the district in July this year after similar cases were recorded in Chikwawa District.