County denies disease outbreak

Laikipia County government Friday denied that there is an outbreak of a deadly cattle disease in the region.

The county director of veterinary services Peterson Njiru said the only case of the Contagious Bovine PleuroPneumonia (CBPP) disease was detected in September last year at private farm in Wiyumiririe in Laikipia East and treated.

Dr Njiru said the affected animals belonged to one farmer who bought the cattle from a pastoralist who had migrated to the area.After the disease was detected, samples were taken to a veterinary lab in Nairobi and it was contained almost immediately, he said.

“In January and February, we invited the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) scientists to help us test animals in Ngobit area. Results showed that the disease had not spread beyond the three animals,” Dr Njiru said in a statement. He said the alarming reports could hurt the business of exporting embryo and semen.

MEAT SAFE

The disease is highly contagious and is caused by bacteria which affects the lungs causing respiratory distress. However, Dr Njiru said meat from the affected animals is fit for human consumption as the disease only affects lungs.