| By Dr. Isabel Mweheire | 

The last few months have seen many Veterinarians grapple with specific infectious diseases that caused a huge impact on people’s lives and livelihoods in Uganda. First there was Anthrax, and then there was Foot and Mouth disease which caused quarantine restrictions in more than 40 districts between December and April 2024.

There were cases of Anthrax, a soilborne infectious disease of mainly herbivores (animals that feed on plants) like cattle, goats sheep. The disease was reported in Kyotera, Rakai, Masaka, the Sebei region and in Ibanda district in Western Uganda. This led to warnings to the public not to eat beef, and some districts were quarantined. Quarantine restrictions included a ban on slaughter activities and the sale of meat in affected districts.

As already mentioned, Anthrax is a disease of herbivores which pick it from contaminated soils or herbage grazing close to the ground, especially during times of flooding or periods of severe drought.  Man gets the disease from his interaction with animal products like meat, milk and skins/hides). Anthrax is a hemorrhagic fever (causes bleeding in body openings) and kills in a very short time. In cattle, where it is common, it does not exhibit clinical signs. Animals that previously looked healthy are found dead in the field. In one of the cases I handled in mid-January this year, one cow was seen lying in sternal recumbence and chewing card normally around 4 pm. The same was found dead at dusk.

Clinical signs are not apparent in cattle because the course of sickness is very short. (A few hours to a day). Since animals cannot tell of pain, it is assumed they had no clinical signs. However, bleeding from the skin and body openings sometimes happens just before and immediately after death. This shows that obviously, the cow may have experienced some internal pain before it gave up its ghost.

Farmers believe that when a food anima like a cow dies, then it’s meat should be savaged. So rather than bury the carcass, they will get their pangas and get to work, skinning and eventually distributing the meat. With the money economy we are in, some of the carcass parts will be taken to the nearby trading centers and distributed for sale. This is how most outbreaks in humans occur. First, the people who butchered the animal will get skin lesions and swollen hands/arms or other parts that were in contact with the meat. Then people who eat the meat, those who roast and eat it and those who cook the meat, as they taste when the meat is not yet completely cooked.

With extensive sensitization of communities, however, farmers and community members can report cases of sudden deaths of animals. When this is done before butchering the animal, public Veterinarians have a role to supervise the burial of any animal reported to have died suddenly in the community. These Vets are also trained in sample collection from these animals, treatment of animals still alive, prevention, control of the disease and safe disposal of the carcasses after death. Most of all, they have to put their lives in danger to prevent any panga-welding human being from opening up the carcass for any purpose including dressing and distribution of the meat to fellow humans. In Ibanda district, from mid-January to April 2024, we conducted supervised burials of at least 13catte and 1 goat. Before the outbreak was reported in humans, some animals had died and were consumed, and at least four (4) human deaths were registered.

Veterinarians have a big role in making sure animals are vaccinated to prevent the disease in both animals and humans. When unvaccinated animals get infected, Veterinarians can detect the disease and prevent further contact with humans. They can also treat cattle in contact with the sick or dead ones to reduce mortalities.

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By Dr. Mweheire Isabel