Sembabule District, blessed as it is with expansive grasslands, just like any other cattle corridor, it yearns for a future free from Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) which is quite relentless. Yet, this persistent endemic continues to flare up unpredictably. Its onset significantly halts cattle transactions and paralyzes the economic activities of Uganda’s vital cattle corridor. Each outbreak sends production systems into overdrive, deploying measures to counteract the disease.
But here lies the most critical and disheartening aspect of the issue. Despite cattle owners lamenting about its heavy consequences, they have deliberately contributed to its rise through their own actions and efforts. I say this confidently, as many hardly take the time to understand what they are dealing with. I suggest cattle owners because majority of them don’t know that the disease even affects all the cloven-hoofed animals and it is quite baffling for them to know how it is even transmitted. They often treat it as a distant threat rather than an imminent danger.
Here’s a brief overview of FMD. When it strikes, it announces itself with a cluster set of symptoms following its 2–14-day incubation period in cattle with fever and loss of appetite. This is followed by vesicles on the tongue, mammary glands, gums, and pressure points on the legs. These vesicles often coalesce, rupture, and become highly painful, leading to lameness and difficulty in grazing. Pain and discomfort from these lesions lead to profuse salivation, nasal discharge, anorexia, lameness, and reluctance to move. Eventually, productivity declines, and in severe cases, death may occur.
What’s truly perplexing is that these symptoms are not new to farmers. Their own fore ancestors knew this disease which they term as “kalusu” and passed down knowledge about these signs and dangers. Despite this generational wisdom, many cattle keepers remain indifferent. They even remain unbothered. Instead of notifying authorities, they turn to herbal remedies and advice from those who have been “victimized by this disease before.”
Some, after several failed attempts, place their faith in questionable cures using various drugs available on the market. During the most recent outbreak, they frequently used tylosin injections, disregarding technical advice and relying solely on hearsay from fellow farmers. They even borrow dozens of anti-inflammatories and antiseptics from pharmacies to cure these innocent animals. Ironically, some even resort to deworming in a mistaken attempt to reduce the spread of FMD.
At ALS Uganda, once animals begin showing signs, we recommend Meloxicash, an NSAID that relieves pain, fever, and inflammation, along with Ashienro injection to treat secondary bacterial infections from FMD lesions. This combination does a great deal and then the herds can be vaccinated twice a year.
Farmers must begin seeking proper veterinary guidance, as misinformation in these communities is widespread. Farmers, desperate to save their livestock, often cannot access the most effective preventive method — vaccination. This responsibility lies with the Ministry of Agriculture, which manages vaccine procurement — though vaccines are often in short supply.
If time was plenty and resources were available, I would gladly initiate a door-to-door campaign to combat this persistent epidemic that has hindered Sembabule District’s progress. This is my humble appeal for collective action.
By Faridah Namuwonge