Cattle keepers in Kiruhura district have been told to remain calm and not to lose hope due to the challenge of treating drug resistant ticks that have continuously posed a threat to their livestock in the country.
The call was made by President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday, while speaking at Kaaro High School in Kenshunga Sub-County, Kiruhuura District where he together with the 1st Lady, Hon. Janet Museveni commissioned a girls’ dormitory that has been named ‘Esteri’ in honour of the President’s late mother, Esteri Kokundeka, who championed girl child education.
Mr. Museveni said that veterinary medicine experts have expended their expertise in an attempt to invent a mixture of acaricides for spraying cattle against ticks adding that the drug has so far tested positive; giving optimism that the combination will be effective.
The president however, observed that the cause of drug-resistant ticks which affect the health of cattle was due to poor sensitization by veterinary personnel on appropriate use of drugs for spraying against the ticks and also the farmers' improper or the haphazard way of using animal drugs when spraying against ticks at individual farms.
"I faced a similar problem at my farm. The ticks had become immune to the spraying but through proper, more serious and effective method of applying animal drugs to my animals against ticks, was the solution,” he said.
"Preventive measures against East Coast Fever (Amashuyu) in animals where ticks die on getting in contact with a treated animal, have been successful. Likewise, other diseases will be tackled accordingly in due course as assured by veterinary officials," he added.
