Harare — More than 200 cows, goats and sheep have died from 132 disease outbreaks between October and November this year.

The deaths, officially put at 238, could be higher as there is under-reporting of cases in most areas, the Veterinary Services Department said this week.

"The animals - mostly cattle - died from tick-borne diseases, black leg and anthrax. There are also 57 reported cases of lumpy skin disease," Vet field services deputy director Dr Chenjerai Njagu said on Tuesday.

Dr Njagu said this period was the most dangerous for livestock.

"There are so many diseases that attack livestock during the rainy season and farmers have to vaccinate to reduce deaths," he said.

He said 95 tick-borne disease outbreaks were reported in the last two months countrywide, with 157 animals infected and 68 dying. There were six reported anthrax outbreaks with 54 animals dying and 31 outbreaks of black leg that killed 116 cattle.

"Black leg and tick-borne diseases are prevalent in the rainy season and farmers should vaccinate and dip their livestock regularly.

"Farmers should dip their cattle weekly and the chemicals are available. We have enough in stock to last up to January next year," he said.

Farmers pay a fee of US$1 per animal per year to treat their livestock at community dip tanks. It is the farmers' duty to fill the dip tanks with water and carry out repairs.

"Farmers should vaccinate their cattle against anthrax. Government carries out vaccination programmes in most communal areas. We managed to attend to all reported cases of anthrax," Dr Njagu said.

He urged people not to eat meat from cattle that die from unknown causes and instead consult veterinary officers for assistance.

Anthrax and black leg are soil-borne and most prevalent during the rainy season when cattle graze close to the ground where they may pick the diseases.

"Lumpy skin disease does not kill animals but affects the skin. There have been 18 outbreaks with 57 cattle affected," Dr Njagu said.

"The diseases can also be vaccinated against and this is usually done before the rainy season."

At this time of the year, parasites such as roundworm, liver fluke and tapeworm pose problems to livestock. Farmers are encouraged to de-worm their livestock at the beginning, during and just after the rainy season to ensure cattle do not lose weight during the dry season.

Dr Njagu said the outbreaks were, however, fewer than the last season when vaccines were generally unavailable on the market.

He said the condition of cattle had also improved.