The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has imposed an immediate ban on cattle movement in and out of Opuwo Urban Constituency after confirming a contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) outbreak in Okapundja village.
Under the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), the Ministry placed the ban following the detection of CBPP, commonly known as lung sickness.
The outbreak, identified on 1 July 2024, has affected a herd of 30 cattle, with eight testing positive and one succumbing to the disease.
Lung sickness is a highly contagious and potentially fatal respiratory illness in cattle and water buffalo.
While not a threat to public health, it can cause significant economic losses to the livestock industry due to its rapid spread and high mortality rate.
Acting Chief Veterinary Officer in the DVS, Johannes Shoopala, said in order to curb the outbreak and safeguard the industry, the DVS has invoked the Animal Health Act, Act 1 of 2011.
This empowers the DVS to implement a complete ban on cattle movement within and out of Opuwo Urban Constituency, with the exception of those destined for immediate slaughter under veterinary supervision, as well as restrictions on the movement of cattle lung tissue from slaughtered animals within the constituency.
The ministry has further suspended all cattle gatherings in the Opuwo Urban Constituency until further notice.
It also imposed active disease surveillance to determine the outbreak’s extent.
Moreover, the Ministry has established roadblocks at strategic points to ensure compliance with the movement restrictions and mandatory CBPP vaccination for all unvaccinated cattle in the constituency.
“The Directorate of Veterinary Services would like to urge farmers and the general public to cooperate and assist with measures put in place to control this outbreak,” Shoopala said.
