Kiruhura goes into quarantine over increased Foot and Mouth Disease

The authorities in Kiruhura district have decided to put the district under total quarantine again over the increased spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

Kiruhura district has had foot and mouth Disease since December 2020. The disease started from Kiruhura town council but has now continued to spread to the whole district despite the effort put forward by different stakeholders.

According to Kiberu Charles Nsubuga, the District Chief Administrative officer (CAO), Kiruhura district, with effect from April 10, 2021, District leadership and stakeholders suspended movement of animals within the district until further notice. They also suspended slaughtering of animals, daily cattle markets and animal loading sites.

According to Kiberu, Milk coolers/ diary plants across the district have also been ordered to close with immediate effect.

Weddings at homesteads within Kiruhura district were suspended until further notice.

“Under inevitable circumstances of the burials of the deceased, guidance should be sought from the sub-county technocrats to put in place the standard operating procedures (SOPs) which should be enforced during the burial”. Kiberu noted.

Kiberu said these restrictions and orders follow the numerous reports about increased spread of foot and mouth disease in the district and the district task force resolved to enforce tough measures to ease the control of the disease within the district.

According to Safari Mugyenyi , the mayor Sanga town council the foot and mouth disease is mostly spread by the movement of animals from one place to another,  dairy products like milk and butter, meat and other products from cattle.

He said it is also increasingly spread by cattle farmers themselves through visiting each other’s farms, boda boda riders who transport milk from farms to milk coolers/ diary plants and milk hawkers. 

However ,Grace Asiimwe ,the district veterinary officer, Kiruhura said they also do this to keep innocent people safe from taking meat, dairy products like milk, Butter from affected cattle which are harmful to human life.