Training farmers to fight lung sickness among livestock

Kavango West and Kunene region farmers are currently undergoing training on how to fight contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), also known as lung sickness.The training is spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), together with the agriculture ministry.CBPP is a respiratory disease of cattle that is listed as notifiable by the World Organisation for Animal Health.Lung sickness is a disease that mainly affects cattle and water buffalo and is caused by bacteria that attack the animals’ lungs. According to the agriculture ministry, the regional farmer training is aimed at observing the distribution of essential equipment such as camping equipment, personal protective equipment, laboratory equipment and vaccination equipment to various government stations in the Kavango West and Kunene regions.Training starts The training is aimed at farmers and veterinary officials on CBPP awareness, prevention and control measures, the ministry said.The training also seeks to look into human interest stories from farmers and veterinary staff on the ground, highlighting the impact of CBPP and other animal health diseases and the importance of collaborative efforts.The training will commence today in Kavango West’s Mpungu constituency and in Kavango West’s Mankupi constituency the following day.From 2 to 4 March, training will take place in the Kunene Region’s Epupa constituency.According to the agriculture ministry’s spokesperson, Jona Musheko, lung sickness is very serious, so farmers need to be trained on how to fight against it.Outbreak controlLast year, in March, Namibian Sun reported on the outbreak of lung sickness in cattle in the Ncamagoro and Musese constituencies of the Kavango West Region.According to the ministry at the time, veterinary officials instituted immediate outbreak investigations and recorded 16 deaths and clinical signs in 20 cattle.The transmission of lung sickness occurs through direct contact between infected and susceptible cattle through inhaling droplets through coughing.Chronically infected cattle carry and spread the disease without showing signs of illness for longer periods.kenya@namibiansun.com

Training farmers to fight lung sickness among livestock

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Training farmers to fight lung sickness among livestock

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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