Zimbabwe: anthrax outbreak contained in Manicaland

In Manicaland, the Veterinary Service Department (VSD) has lifted quarantine measures after the successful containment of an anthrax outbreak that threatened local livestock in the Chipinge District. The outbreak started last month, provoking the death of 12 animals and prompting an immediate reaction from authorities. The government launched a vaccination campaign in the affected areas and restricted livestock movement across the province. Provincial epidemiologist Dr Innocent Chabanga confirmed the containment of the outbreak and attributed it to the vaccination campaign, with over 9000 cattle immunized against the disease in risk areas. Manicaland farmers are now free to move their livestock and consume meat from it. Livestock owner Norman Makwaya thanked the government for its prompt action that avoided severe consequences for the farming community.
If the emergency in Manicaland has been resolved, another one is affecting the Gokwe North District, with three human cases of anthrax reported for the week ending April 13. The national figure of anthrax cases now stands at 52 with no deaths, as stated on the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s X account.