More than 1 000 cattle in prime ranching areas south of Harare have been infected with foot-and-mouth disease, threatening vital beef exports, state radio reported on Friday.
”We believe that the source has been due to some illegal movements of livestock and this is being followed up,” Stuart Hargreaves, the principal veterinary director in the southern African country was quoted as saying.
”We are also investigating other possible areas where there could be infection,” he added.
The movement of cattle in the area has been restricted to prevent the spread of the disease, the radio said.
Foot-and-mouth disease is characterised by sores around the hooves and mouths of cattle. The disease does not affect humans but leaves cattle almost worthless.
The country, which is already critically short of foreign currency, will need to find two million dollars to import vaccines to deal with the outbreak, according to official reports.
Zimbabwe earns millions of dollars every year from beef exports mainly to the European Union, as well as other countries in Africa and Asia.
However, cattle farming has taken a battering with the country’s commercial herd decreasing from 1,5-million to 250 000 in recent years, according to official figures. – Sapa-AFP