ICRC Responds To East Coast Fever Outbreak In Ikwoto

 

TORIT, 8 February 2015 [Gurtong] – The move follows an announcement by the state Animal Resources and Fisheries Ministry confirming that the county is experiencing an outbreak of the disease.

Led by the ICRC's economic security delegate, Mr. Ahmed Abdalla, the International Committee of the Red Cross team, on Thursday, visited the ministry and held a series of meetings with the Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Martin Lorika Lojam.

The team informed the minister together with the ministry's Acting Director of Veterinary Services and Animal Production, Quinto Alex and other ministry's officials that their main purpose for the visit is to distribute the vet medicines to counter the disease before it can spread further.

The visiting delegation in collaboration with the state ministry accompanied by the Animal Resources Ministry's officials from the Directorate of Veterinary Services and Animal Production, left on Friday for Ikwoto County to distribute the veterinary drugs.

Lorika thanked the team on behalf of the ministry, for its quick and timely response.

He said that since the outbreak many cattle keepers have been forced to flee Ikwoto with their cattle for fear that the disease will spread.

The latest effort by the ICRC and the state Animal Resources Ministry, seeks to restrict the disease from spreading over in the County and beyond.

The East Coast Fever is one of the major disease constraints to cattle development and is well known to local farmers, stockmen and veterinarians.