WINDHOEK - Animal diseases are still taking toll on livestock and wild life in Namibia, and especially lumpy skin disease that has been prevalent in Zambezi and various regions of the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) since last year.

Updating the country on the animal health situation since October last year, Dr John Shoopala, deputy-chief of the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) points out the presence of these and other diseases that has led to the deaths of many animals. Newcastle disease in wild pigeons was reported in Oshikoto Region at one focus in October 2017. Ten deaths were recorded. In the Okahandja district it was reported in doves at one focus and one clinical case and 10 deaths were reported. 

 Lumpy Skin Disease appeared late last year in Karasburg and Kamanjab districts at one focus each, resulting in 13 clinical cases and 109 deaths. In November 2017, bovine malignant catarrh fever bovine was detected at one focus in Windhoek district. Two clinical cases were reported. In December 2017, lumpy skin disease was reported in Zambezi at one focus and resulted in eight clinical cases.  In January 2018, lumpy skin disease was again reported in Zambezi, Oshikoto, Oshana and Ohangwena districts. A total of 35 clinical cases and 1 death was reported.  African horse sickness was also reported in Okahandja and Windhoek districts at one focus respectively. The total clinical cases were nine, one in Okahandja and eight in Windhoek district.

In February 2018, lumpy skin disease once again broke out in Zambezi, Ohangwena, Oshana and Outjo districts. The total focus were twelve while the clinical cases were fifty.   Bovine malignant catarrh fever was reported in the Gobabis district at one focus with eight clinical cases and five deaths.  African horse sickness was again reported in Windhoek districts at two foci. One clinical case and two deaths were recorded. 

In March 2018, more cases of lumpy skin disease were reported in Zambezi, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati districts at 18 foci which resulted in 97 clinical cases and three deaths. Bovine malignant catarrh fever was reported in Windhoek and Gobabis districts at 1 focus each, resulting in two clinical cases and one death.
African swine fever was reported in Windhoek districts at one focus, resulting in 12 deaths.
African horse sickness again reared its head in the Windhoek district at 1 focus, resulting in one clinical case and one death.

In April 2018, lumpy skin disease was diagnosed in Zambezi, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati regions. A total of 17 foci, 90 clinical cases and four deaths were recorded.

Bovine malignant catarrh was reported in Okahandja and Windhoek districts at one focus respectively.  A total of five clinical cases and one death resulted.

Newcastle disease was reported in the Omusati Region at one focus, resulting in twenty deaths.
African horse sickness was reported in Omaruru and Windhoek districts at one focus respectively. One clinical case was reported in Omaruru and one death in Windhoek district.

In May 2018, lumpy skin disease was still active in Zambezi at two foci, Oshikoto at one focus, Oshana at four foci and Omusati at six foci respectively with a total of 14 clinical cases. Bovine malignant catarrh fever was reported in Otavi and Gobabis districts, each at one focus, of which the total clinical cases were two. Sheep scab was reported in Keetmanshoop and Mariental and African horse sickness -detected in Otjiwarongo and Windhoek districts at one focus and one clinical case respectively. Newcastle disease was reported in Oshana and Windhoek districts at one focus respectively and 15 clinical cases with 136 deaths recorded. African swine fever again occurred in Windhoek district at one focus with 21 clinical cases and three deaths.

Lumpy skin disease was again reported in June in Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati districts at one, two and one foci respectively, resulting in five clinical cases.  Sheep scab was reported in Keetmanshoop at six contact farms and Newcastle disease was diagnosed in Kavango East Region at one focus. Sixty-two deaths were recorded. 

In July 2018, lumpy skin disease was detected in Opuwo district at one focus with two clinical cases.  Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia was detected in Kavango East and West regions at one focus respectively, resulting in 19 clinical cases and 17 deaths. It is suspected that these cattle which had not been vaccinated since 2014 were in Angola for grazing. 
Newcastle disease was diagnosed in Kavango East Region at five foci, resulting in 170 clinical cases and 159 deaths recorded. 

In August 2018, lumpy skin disease was reported in Ohangwena district at one focus with one clinical case, no deaths. Sheep scab were reported on eight farms in the Karasburg district while Newcastle disease occurred in Kavango East region at two foci, 13 clinical cases and 489 deaths.