Kiruhura District announces Total Quarantine on movement of animals following FMD outbreak

Kiruhura District taskforce has announced a Total FMD (foot and mouth disease) Quarantine on any animal movement or animal products within and outside the area, effective 19 April 2021 until a stable disease situation is attained.

Kiruhura district has had foot and mouth disease (FMD) since December 2020. The disease started from Kiruhura Town council but spread to other sub counties.

According to Kiberu Charles Nsubuga the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kiruhura, despite the efforts put forward by the different stakeholders to control the disease spread, outbreaks have continually occurred in disease three sub counties.

Mr. Nsubuga says farmers have continued to sell animals to traders who move animals at night through disease free farms and spread FMD and laxity of the different stakeholders to prevent animal movements, there has been failure to control milk movements from FMD affected areas / farms which movement has exposed other disease-free farms, failure of farmers to cooperate with local leadership in taking local decisions over quarantining affected areas/farms and limited support from the dairy value chain actors.

He has now ordered all stakeholders to increase vigilance for any people moving animals and animal products so that they are apprehended for spreading disease, convene local village meetings with local leadership to ensure that FMD control measures

are in place and practiced including fencing off the FMD affected farms to ensure no animals move out or in that farm.

“Putting disinfection points on all outlets of affected farms/areas for all vehicles and Persons moving into the farms, Prompt reporting of any suspected animal cases within the locality to local authorities and Veterinary office. With help from Veterinary office, provide appropriate treatment to sick animals for quick recovery” Nsubuga noted.

Meanwhile, all parties are suspended at homesteads affected with FMD. For burials, the CAO says arrangements with the District taskforce should be made to enforce standard operating procedures.

He advised Subcounty FMD task force and the parish chiefs to enforce the quarantine guidelines as Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) provide more FMD vaccines to support the taskforce’s efforts in controlling disease spread,