Zimbabwe: January disease, a haunting to cattle in Insiza district

Source: January disease: a haunting in Insiza district | The Chronicle (Top Stories) Peter Matika, Online Desk The ghastly January disease that ‘devoured’ hundreds of cattle in Insiza Matabeleland North province has come back to haunt farmers and villagers, as there are new reports of cattle deaths from the distict. Last month government implemented a mandatory quarantine on cattle movement, in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading and possibly contain it. However, like a vengeful spirit, the disease has returned and has claimed the lives of more cattle, leaving villagers and farmers in more distress. File picture: A farmer examines a cow that succumbed to January disease in Fort Rixon “Even despite the mandatory quarantine, we are still losing cattle. The disease had gone docile since the implementation of the quarantine but has since returned and is quite vicious,” said Mr Nkani Khoza a farmer in the district. Mr Khoza said to date he had lost 35 beasts to the disease, ...