‘Mantoetse Maama
MASERU — Seven people from two villages in Berea district died last week after eating contaminated meat.
It is suspected that the seven who are from Masaleng and Ha Popa villages died after eating meat from a cow that had succumbed to anthrax.
A number of people from the two villages have been hospitalised and are being treated for anthrax.
The director general of Veterinary Services, Malefane Moleko, said they had received reports that the seven died after eating contaminated meat.
“We received a message on Tuesday that a number of people and livestock died of a disease suspected to be anthrax in Berea,” Moleko said.
“One of our doctors went to the district to investigate after receiving a message from the Ministry of Health that some people had died,” he said.
The disease had also killed 18 cattle and six donkeys in recent weeks.
Moleko added that the Veterinary Services department was working hard to bring the disease under control.
The department took samples on Wednesday and the results came out on Friday confirming that it was anthrax.
The disease has so far been restricted to Berea district but there is a real danger that if it is not controlled it might spread to other areas.
The consequences of such an outbreak could be catastrophic.
The department of live stock in the area is now making preparations to launch a vaccination campaign to control the disease.
Moleko said they had sent a message to World Organisation for Animal Health in France to report the outbreak so that they will notify other countries.
“As we export wool and mohair to other countries we need to notify them that there has been an outbreak that has affected a certain area and we have made sure that it’s under control.”
The outbreak of anthrax in Berea district has raised fears it might have a bad effect on the country’s wool and mohair exports.
Lesotho exports about 3 500 tonnes of raw wool annually, mainly to China, while mohair is destined for the South African market.
The sales of wool and live animals are also a major source of income for the rural communities.
Moleko said the outbreak could affect the market as some customers might be reluctant to buy wool and mohair from Lesotho.
“We started shearing goats in May so we need to assure our buyers that the disease has been controlled and that the mohair from Lesotho is free from diseases,” he said.
There was need to assure buyers that the disease was confined to one place and it was being treated to ensure that it does not spread to other districts.
Moleko urged people not to eat meat from dead animals as that could be dangerous to their health.
He also advised the public to report the death of their livestock if they suspect diseases such as anthrax so that they can be controlled before they spread.
Other animal diseases common in Lesotho include rabies and tuberculosis.