Bolgatanga, June 17, GNA - Farmers in the Upper East Region have been called upon to vaccinate their livestock against the various preventable diseases that have been the cause of high mortality rates in livestock.

Dr. Thomas Anyorikeya, Regional Veterinary Officer, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, on Tuesday, said with the onset of rains come diseases such as Anthrax and Contagious Bovine Pleuro pneumonia (CBPP) that spreads very fast among cattle. He said the Anthrax vaccine cost 20 Ghana pesewas per animal and could save the farmer from losing many animals and sometimes human lives as well as the disease could easily be passed on to human beings, either through eating the meat of an infected animal or getting in contact with its blood. He explained that the germs that cause these diseases are found in the soil and contaminate the new growth of grass that the animals feed on.

Dr Anyorikeye said with the CBPP, it affects the lungs of cattle and is easily spread among the animals as they move about. It does not kill fast and the meat of the animal is safe for consumption, however, it is better to prevent it because it can infect so many cattle and cause losses to the farmer, he said. Diarrhoea, he said, was another disease that affected animals during the on set of rains due to change in diet. He said as the animals left the dry grass and went in for fresh grass that harboured the larvae of parasites, it eventually caused other diseases. Dr. Anyorikeya, urged owners of domestic animals, cats, dogs and monkeys to send them for vaccination against rabies. 17 June 09