Mozambique: Over 40,000 Cattle Vaccinated in Tete

Maputo — Over 40,000 head of cattle have been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease in the central Mozambican province of Tete.

"The rainy season and financial constraints are the main barriers for the province to reach the planned total of 75.450 animals immunized', said the head of livestock in the Tete Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries, Cláudio Gule, cited in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Notícias'. The current number of cattle vaccinated is only half of what was planned.

According to Gule, the vaccines (150,900 doses in all) were received in December "but the rainy season has created difficulties in terms of accessibility by road to some remote areas. It limits our work.'

"In Mutarara district, for example, we will intervene when the rain stops. In this phase, the vaccination is extended to cattle in Changara district, Marara, Cahora Bassa, Magoe, Moatize and Chiuta', he explained.

"Taking into account our vaccination plan, each animal takes two vaccines within a period of 21 days and six months later we repeat the vaccination', he said.

Foot and mouth disease is classified as one of the most dangerous livestock diseases in the world because of its rapid transmission and spread, with very negative economic impacts.

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