Published Date: 2004-09-27 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax, wildlife - Zimbabwe (South East)
Archive Number: 20040927.2665

ANTHRAX, WILDLIFE - ZIMBABWE (SOUTH EAST)
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[1]
Date: 27 Sep 2004
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: News 24 [edited]
<http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1595613,00.html>

Anthrax strikes Zimbabwe wildlife
-----------------------------------
An anthrax outbreak has killed at least 1500 wild animals in the once busy
tourist region of southeast Zimbabwe, the country's veterinary department
said. The area, which includes the Gonarezhou National Park on Zimbabwe's
border with South Africa, has been devastated by outbreaks of diseases in
recent years, such as foot and mouth disease, following the cutting of
fences by farm invaders loyal to the ruling Zanu-PF party.
"About 1500 animals have died in one of the largest outbreaks of anthrax
we've experienced in a wildlife area," said the head of Zimbabwe's
veterinary services department, Stuart Hargreaves. Hargreaves said teams
had been sent to the area to vaccinate wildlife, including some of
Zimbabwe's most valuable game. He said wildlife officials were using
helicopters to administer dart vaccinations into rare and endangered
populations of rhino.
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ProMED-mail
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[2]
Date: 27 Sep 2004
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: News.com [edited]
<http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10902940%255E1702,00.html>

Anthrax outbreak in Zimbabwe
-------------------------------
An anthrax outbreak has killed 1500 animals, mostly kudus, in 2
conservation areas next to one of Zimbabwe's largest game parks, the
director of veterinary services said today [27 Sep 2004]. "It's the 1st
time for Zimbabwe to have had a major anthrax outbreak in wildlife areas,"
Stuart Hargreaves, the director of livestock and veterinary services, told AFP.
The outbreak was detected 3 weeks ago in Malalangwe and Save conservation
areas, situated near the south-eastern Gonarezhou National Park. "In both
these areas, about 1500 animals have died," said Mr. Hargreaves. "About 80
percent of the animals that have died are kudus, and the others are
buffaloes and antelopes," he said.
Gonarezhou Park is part of the 95 000 sq km Great Limpopo Transfrontier
Park, which brings together part of the Kruger National Park in South
Africa and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
Mr. Hargreaves said government and other wildlife agencies had moved in
fast to control the outbreak by vaccinating at least 700 endangered rhinos
and buffaloes and disposing of the dead animals. Of the 1500 animals that
were killed, 1400 carcasses have been incinerated to prevent lions, hyenas,
and vultures from eating the dead animals. "This is the reason the disease
is diminishing," he said.
He expressed concern that the disease might spread to Gonarezhou. "It could
well spread to Gonarezhou, because it is right next door, (but) we don't
want the disease to spread, and we are trying our best to control it," he
said. He suspects the disease could have entered wildlife through cattle
and vultures.
An anthrax outbreak forced the closure of most of Botswana's Chobe National
Park, after close to 200 buffaloes, elephants, and a hippo died. The
outbreak has also spread to Namibia.
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ProMED-mail
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[The Zimbabwean team is to be congratulated on the speed and extent of
their response. Burning 1400 kudus and such is no mean feat. The proper
disposal of some 179 affected wood bison in the MacKenzie Bison Sanctuary
in 1993 has resulted in no further cases in that area. So the Zimbabwe
response should have long term benefits.
Anthrax tends to be an enzootic risk in the African game parks. If the
disease was not known in the 2 conservation areas, it does raise the
possibility that the disease spread from neighboring cattle. In recent
years, livestock disease control has been minimal in Zimbabwe.
Kudu are browsers, and so the major mode of spread will have been by blow
flies, having fed on infected carcasses, flying to nearby browse, and
contaminating it with their feces and vomit. The good news is that the
coming wet season will stop this mode of spread. While buffalo and antelope
will make use of scrub, they are grazers, which raises the possibility that
some flies had contaminated the longer grasses, or, that the buffalo and
antelope have been licking the bloody soil around fallen animals. Of
course, there is also the significant risk of contaminated water-holes and
ponds from fallen animals, or, from scavengers washing themselves.
I am checking to find out what the KNP (Kruger National Park) folks have
seen. - Mod.MHJ]
.....................mpp/mhj/msp/mpp

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