Lungsickness outbreak detected in Kunene


The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform on Tuesday confirmed an outbreak of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), commonly referred to as Lungsickness, in the Kunene Region.

The ministry in a statement said the epidemic was detected on 01 July 2024 at Okapuindja, some 51 kilometres outside of Opuwo in a herd of cattle where eight cattle tested positive and one cow died.

CBPP was one of the world’s three main historic cattle epidemics, alongside foot and mouth disease and rinderpest. Mycoplasma Mycoides causes CBPP, a disease affecting cattle and water buffalo.

‘Lungsickness is mainly a disease of cattle and water buffalo that affects the lungs and the membranes that line the thoracic cavity, causing fever and respiratory signs such as laboured or rapid respiration, cough and nasal discharge,’ the statement read.

It is known to cause more livestock losses than any other disease due to its high contagiousness and mortality rate of more than 50 per cent.

The disease is transmitted by direct
contact between an infected and a susceptible animal, with certain animals carrying the disease without showing symptoms, making control of its spread more difficult.

The statement further read that the disease cannot be treated and infected cattle remain a source of further infection to other cattle. Humans are not known to be susceptible to Lungsickness, so there is no public health risk.

To safeguard the livestock industry, the ministry has issued various control measures under the Animal Health Act, 1 of 2011, based on cattle movement patterns around infected areas, such as a complete movement ban on live cattle (except for direct slaughter) within 48 hours under veterinary supervision in and out of the Opuwo Urban constituency.

It has also imposed a moratorium on the movement of cattle lung tissue from slaughtered cattle within and outside of the Opuwo Urban constituency, as well as a suspension of cattle gathering activities within the constituency until further notice.

‘The ministry will also initi
ate active CBPP disease surveillance measures to establish the scope of the disease and farmers have been urged to collaborate and provide their livestock for inspection,’ it said.

Furthermore, roadblocks would be placed at critical locations to guarantee compliance with the procedures above while urging farmers in the constituency to present their animals for CBPP-required vaccination.

Source: The Namibia News Agency