An estimated 200 cattle have died of anthrax in Masvingo in Zimbabwe in the past two months, Harare’s Herald newspaper reported on Monday.
Its website said the anthrax outbreak had been cited as the biggest threat to Masvingo’s efforts to restock its beef herd, which was almost halved in 1992’s nationwide drought.
An acute shortage of vaccines is stifling efforts to tame the outbreak.
Masvingo governor Willard Chiwewe on Sunday expressed dismay at the rate at which the province is losing cattle to anthrax.
He urged the government to prioritise the procurement of anthrax vaccines to contain the outbreak.
”We want to continue urging the government to prioritise the procurement of vaccines so that we can contain the anthrax outbreak,” the governor said.
”We are deeply worried by the continued death of cattle from the disease and, more importantly, owing to an acute shortage of vaccines.”
Most of the province’s cattle are contracting anthrax from wild animals such as buffaloes. — Sapa