The Rukungiri district veterinary officer Johnson Ninsiima has confirmed an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants diseases also known as goat plague in Rukungiri district and called on livestock farmers to restrict small ruminant’s movements and immunize healthy animals to curb further spread.
The disease is an acute, highly contagious and transboundary viral disease that can affect both goats and sheep and it is severe, fast spreading and causes high morbidity and mortality among the affected animals.
Ninsiima says peste des petits ruminants disease broke out in the sub counties of Nyakishenyi and Nyarushanje and livestock farmers have already lost their animals because ninety percent of the infected animals die.
According to Ninsiima an animal infected with goat plague disease presents with signs including, sudden onset of fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, breathing difficult and forcing eyes shut, coughing, very bad smelling breath, diarrhea and death.
END//
