Deadly goat and sheep plague breaks out in Kitui County

Goat and Sheep plague is a contagious fatal viral disease of small ruminants characterized by fever, pneumonia, diarrhea, and inflammation of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Kitui County CEC for Agriculture and Livestock, Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, on Sunday confirmed the outbreak of the Goat and  Sheep plagues that had already caused  fatalities among young goat and sheep kids. Kimwele said on phone that the hot spot areas hit by the killer plague  are mainly peripheral  sub-counties of  Mwingi North, Mwingi Central  and Kitui  East.

“Although vaccination will take place in all wards in Mwingi North  and Mwingi Central sub counties, in Kitui East subcounty only Mutitu /Kaliku, Zombe /Mwitika and  Voo/Kyamatu wards will be covered in the exercise.

Kimwele said  through the partnership with VSF Germany,  600,000 goats and sheep are targeted for the jab. He disclosed that VSF is  an international NGO providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to pastoralists and vulnerable communities in areas where livestock keeping is a key economic activity,

“The program is for one year. Vaccinations are scheduled to start February 2023. Subject to ability to confirm the outbreak, the carrying out of  pre-vaccination survey , vaccines  availability and facilitation,” he said.

The CEC added that  in the vaccination blitz, the County Government of Kitui will provide  technical support, vehicles, motorcycles, cool boxes and write the reports in a  bid to make the vaccination campaign is successful.

On its part, he added, the VSF Germany will track vaccine and other equipment procurement, facilitate training, do livestock movement analysis, surveillance, and livestock vaccination exercise and pay staff.

The CEC  added that he on last Thursday led  officers  from his department including the livestock chief officer Jonathan Kyambi in a consultative meeting with VSF Germany team led by Dr. Sylvester Wakhu. The meeting was centred on discussing best  strategies in  managing the goat and sheep plague outbreak, he pointed out. 

The CEC further added that the talks also touched on comprehensive surveillance to establish livestock movement patterns within and around the outbreak  hot spots in order to facilitate effective containment. 

“It was agreed that sheep and goat vaccination exercise will start in a fortnight preceded by a sore-surveillance of the hot spots areas slated for Monday next week,” added CEC Kimwele.