Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr Anxious Masuka, says January disease is no longer confined to the early months of the year, with climate change extending the threat deep into the year and posing a growing risk to Zimbabwe’s cattle herd. Traditionally associated with the rainy season between November and January, the tick-borne disease has historically peaked during that period. However, Dr Masuka told Parliament that shifting rainfall patterns are prolonging tick activity, making the disease a near year-round concern.
“There are a lot of things that we can do to prevent January disease in cattle. First of all, let us understand the term ‘January disease’. We received a lot of rainfall between November and January this year.
As a result, January disease was prevalent because there were too many ticks, which came out due to heavy rains and these ticks affected our cattle,” he said. The minister said due to climate change, January diseases are experienced even in March and April. “It is a disease that we would want to prevent or inoculate cattle against at all times.
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As a government, we cannot wait for a single type of virus dosage to protect the cattle. That is why we said we would give tick grease to every household under the Presidential Tick-Grease Programme,” he said. The Minister was responding to a question from Mwenezi North MP, Master Makope, who had asked what measures the Ministry is taking to curb the spread of the disease.
“The January disease is now prevalent all over the country. What has the Ministry done in order to come up with a vaccine to inoculate the cattle, like what you did with lump skin and other diseases, such as foot and mouth,” he said. Dr Masuka outlined a multi-pronged approach to control the disease, including intensive dipping and vaccination efforts.
He explained that during the rainy season, cattle are expected to be dipped on a strict schedule. “We have coined a term that we call 5-5-4, meaning that the cattle have to be dipped once every five days, followed again after five days and thereafter, after four days. This is what we call intensive dipping to protect the cattle against all diseases that come out as a result of ticks,” he said. The minister acknowledged, however, that due to the increasing prevalence of the disease, dip tanks are running out of water.
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