Luanda: At least 800 heads of cattle have died since February in the southern Angolan province of Cunene due to an outbreak of nodular dermatitis, according to Claudio Simo, the head of the Provincial Veterinary Service. The fatalities have been recorded in the municipalities of Cuanhama, Ombadja, Cahama, Naulila, and the commune of Ombala yo Mungo.
According to Angola Press News Agency, laboratory samples of blood and skin tissue were sent to the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek, Namibia, confirming the outbreak. Simo noted that the current epidemiological situation is under control due to awareness campaigns that have enabled farmers to recognize the clinical signs of the disease and isolate affected animals for technical and veterinary intervention.
Due to a lack of available drugs within local veterinary services, farmers had to individually source vaccines against the strain of dermatitis from veterinary pharmacies in the provinces of Huila and Namibia. Veterinary technicians provided the necessary technical support during this process.
While the situation remains under clinical control, Simo emphasized the need for more concrete responses from the Directorate-General of Veterinary Services and the provincial government. He highlighted that a comprehensive animal vaccination campaign would require the provision of vaccine doses, as well as the necessary human resources and biosafety equipment to address the outbreak effectively.
According to data from the Cunene agriculture and farming department, there are 1.1 million head of cattle in the region, 78 percent of which are owned by traditional breeders.
