Baraza

Category: Africa, Climate change, In the News, Kenya, Lions, National Parks and protected areas, Rhinoceros, big cats, drought, national parks, richard leakey, tourism, wildlife, wildlifedirect | Date: Sep 05 2009 | By: admin

In a previous story about cattle dying in the Nairobi Park We have been going purple in the face trying to raise awareness about the public health, ecological and economic threat facing Kenya as a consequence of uncontrolled movements of cattle during the current drought.

This is Dauti Kahura  story published in today’s East African Standard

A week ago, a man died of anthrax in Nyeri after eating infected cow meat. A week earlier, although not reported, two rhinos from Nairobi National Park died of anthrax. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the cause of deaths.

The death of the man should raise the red flag. There is great fear that some of the meat being sold in and around Kitengela and Ongata Rongai butcheries could be contaminated with anthrax, foot and mouth and east coast fever. Investigations by The Standard on Saturday revealed that sick and dying cattle are slaughtered on the roadsides and expose nearby communities to outbreaks.

Temporary bomas

Last week, five kilometres into Masai Lodge Road in Ongata Rongai where herders have set up temporary bomas, The Standard on Saturday team found sickly cattle being slaughtered for distribution to neighbouring butcheries.

Mr Rolf Schmid, a restaurateur who has lived in the area for almost two decades, raised the alarm.

“My first instinct was to contact the Ministry of Health and veterinary officials to come and witness the slaughter of dying cattle,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Health officers and vets from Kajiado concur that some of the cattle appeared sickly although not all were emaciated. The Government health officials, who sought anonymity because they are not authorised to be quoted, confirmed that the animals pose danger.

Due to drought, Maasai herders drive the cattle up to the city and many of them are kept in bomas along Mombasa Road. Tens of thousands of cattle that have been migrating from Loitokitok, Tsavo West, Kibwezi, Sultan Hamud and Kajiado are also being held in bomas on the northern and southern sides of the Nairobi National Park.

By day, these cattle are hosted on the local ranches around the park and by night driven inside it for grazing. Early this week, The Standard on Saturday observed hundreds of cattle being driven into the park on the southern end from the Masai Lodge Road. Tired and exhausted, they walked in a profile, with some not completing the journey.

herding in parks

According to a KWS senior warden, herders have been cutting the fence to allow large numbers of cattle into the park. KWS impounded 1,000 cattle and when the herders came for them the next day, they said some of the animals belong to “well connected Kenyans”.

Due to severe drought and exhaustion of grazing fields, Nairobi National Park is the only location in city with ample grazing field.

But now it is also massively threatened with decimation. More worrying is the fact that the wild animals are also at great risk of being infected with diseases. KWS officials say some antelopes have been infected with foot and mouth.

Tags: anthrax, cattle, Dauti Kahura, Lion, Lions, LIvestock, Nairobi Park, rhino, wildlifedirect

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Dec 02 2008 | By: baraza

I write this blog post with tears in my eyes, tears for the millions who are suffering in Zimbabwe. It was bad enough when these wonderful people had to accept a megalomaniac for president, rampant poverty, famine, hyper inflation, starvation and cholera – now there is an anthrax outbreak.

The outbreak has reported already killed three people in the Zambezi Valley though as usual this figure may be under reported,  this site suggests the human mortality is already 6, and that over 200 cattle have already died in Bulawayo. The disease threatens to wipe out livestock in northern Zimbabwe. Anthrax usually only afflicts livestock, but can be transmitted to humans who handle or eat infected animals consuming or inhaling the spores - watch a  film about how anthrax works here. Wildlife can also be affected and can be a reservoir of the disease. But it’s people who will die in Zimbabwe because starvation is leading parents to feed their children anthrax infected meat.

Anthrax is a disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. It can be used as a bio weapon.

Anthrax spores enter the body through wounds or the lungs where they produce a powerful toxin. Most infections occur by skin contact resulting in a raised itchy bump that looks like an insect bite. Within 1-2 days, it develops into a boil-like sore and then a painless ulcer with a characteristic dark (dying) area in the center. A skin infection can be treated, if not, 20% of patients die.  Infection by inhalation leads to cold-like symptoms that after several days progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Eating contaminated meat leads to infections of the intestinal tract and results in deaths of between 25 - 60% of those infected. The first signs are nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever, followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. It results in death in 1-2 days after the start of severe symptoms. Although with proper treatment, deaths from anthrax can be prevented, Zimbabwean cannot get medical attention. Hospitals are closed due to lack of water, equipment, materials and drugs. Doctors and nurse are running away to neighbouring countries. As a result, we are likely to see many more deaths to anthrax in coming weeks as starving people continue to eat infected cattle.

While anthrax is not contagious from person to person, or animal to animal, when it strikes anthrax can have devastating effects on livestock, humans and wildlife. According to this article “A massive outbreak of anthrax in the wildlife of the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe between August and November 2004 resulted in the death of almost all the reserve’s estimated 500 kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Other species badly affected were nyala (Tragelaphus angasi), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) and roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus), which suffered losses of approximately 68 per cent, 48 per cent, 44 per cent and 42 per cent of their populations, respectively. Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) were also badly affected and although their population suffered only a 6 per cent loss, the numbers of deaths ranked second highest after kudu.” To the authors’ knowledge, this was the first record of anthrax in wildlife in Zimbabwe.

Every day the news from Zimbawe is unbelievably worse – how far down can a country go? Harare the capital city is currently without water, which has been cut off due to a shortage of purification chemicals in a desperate attempt to contain the spread of cholera which currently affects over 10,000 people and has killed over 400. South Africa and the World Health Organization are trying to halt the cholera epidemic and prevent it from crossing international borders. With all that attention on cholera, will they be able to cope with the anthrax threat as well?

As I write this I am in even greater disbelief that the leading party, Zanu-PF are impervious to the plight of their fellow citizens. Is it just me or is there a deafening silence about the suffering in Zimbabwe?

Don’t forget to get a perfect christmas  -make a donation to WildlifeDirect today as a gift to any of your friends and loved ones. Send your email address to victor@WildlifeDirect.org and we will send you a lovely certificate to give to your friend

Tags: anthrax, conservation, wildlife, wildlifedirect, Zimbabwe

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