The Department of Veterinary Services in Narok County is set to vaccinate 70, 000 livestock against anthrax in Narok West and South Sub Counties following an outbreak of the disease in the area.
Narok County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Agriculture and Livestock, Ms. Joyce Keshe, confirmed that three people had died while four others were fighting for their lives in hospitals after they were infected with the disease.
Ms. Keshe, who spoke to journalists in her office today, said the most affected area is the Endonyo Rasha area in Siana Ward, Narok West Sub County, where two deaths were reported and eight patients were treated and discharged.
“The report that we have is that a cow, a goat, and a sheep had died in Endonyo Rasha village last week, and the villagers decided to slaughter the animals for food, leading to the infections,” she said, adding that the deceased were a 24-year-old man and a 42-year-old man.
In another incident in the neighbouring Nkoisusua area, one person died while four others were admitted to Narok County Referral Hospital after consuming meat suspected to be infected by anthrax.
“Following the outbreak of the disease, extension officers are on the ground carrying out an epidemiological survey to ascertain the extent of the disease as they sensitise the residents on the disease,” she said.
Narok Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Gideon Nkeyasha, said the disease could have been caused by wild animals that grazed freely with the domestic animals.
“We had many animals migrating from neighbouring Tanzania in the recent past, which could have caused the outbreak of the disease,” he said.
Though it is difficult to control the spread of the disease through wild animals, the veterinary doctor advised livestock farmers to carry out regular vaccinations on their animals.
“Vaccinating one animal costs approximately Sh30. It is better for farmers to carry out regular vaccination instead of waiting for a disease outbreak that could cause huge losses,” he advised.
He observed that the disease is fatal as it could kill an animal without prior symptoms, warning residents against eating or touching any animal that dies mysteriously.
“Sometime the infected animal can start breeding from all its openings, and the blood takes time to clot. I advise farmers to keep away from such an animal and instead call a veterinary doctor to give directions,” he said.
He said the department is collaborating with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to ensure that they monitor the area to ensure that all carcasses of dead wildlife are disposed of properly.
Residents in affected areas were advised to quarantine their animals for two weeks while they monitored the disease to avoid spreading the disease to other areas.
In humans, the disease manifests in three forms: respiratory, digestive, or cutaneous, where it forms a sore on the skin.
The respiratory form is more fatal to humans as it causes difficulties breathing, while the digestive form causes diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pains.
By Ann Salaton
