Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) outbreak has been confirmed in February 2003 at Kashima East in Mufumbwe District in the North Western Province of Zambia and could reduce the cattle population and/or restrict the sale and movement of cattle (see map). The current CBPP situation is a great threat not only for the cattle population in Zambia but the spread can easily spill over to neighbouring countries in the Southern Part. The field investigations carried out on the current CBPP spread in Zambia indicate that it is due mainly to uncontrolled cattle movements coupled with serious breakdown of the surveillance system.

CBPP has been reintroduced from Angola in 1996-1997 after an absence of 23 years, and the control measures that were implemented with Technical cooperation projects (TCP) assistance were largely successful. It would be only the second disease eradicated in history, after smallpox.

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Zambia is strategically situated in the Southern region of Africa and shares borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania in the north, Malawi and Mozambique in the east, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe in the south and Angola in the west. This aspect certainly puts Zambia at an advantage in terms of easy market access to ever expanding opportunities in the region.

Covering an area of some 750,000 sq. km, with a human population of 10,079,828, Zambia lies in a tropical belt on a fairly high plateau, averaging 1,300 metres above the sea level. The climate is thus very temperate, with little humidity. Though landlocked, Zambia boasts many lakes and rivers amongst them the mighty Zambezi river.

Zambia's prime livestock growing areas are in the Western Province and the national herd is approximately five million head of cattle. The country has 10 million hectares of land available for grazing.

Table: Annual cattle production in Zambia (Source: FAOSTAT)

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During the routine herd health inspections the Veterinary Assistant for Mufumbwe observed clinical signs typical for CBPP. Out of 8 affected cattle, 2 deaths were recorded at Kashima West. Mufumbwe is one of the Districts of North Western Province which was not affected during the 2002 outbreak.

Samples were collected from the field (29) and submitted at Central Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI) which confirmed the outbreak. The Laboratory test on serology complement fixation test (CFT) was used.

The CBPP has been confirmed in Mufumbwe district, in the following areas: Muyutu village, Manjata village, Chilembe village, where the population at risk is 1400. The disease is suspected to have come from Kabompo, a neighbouring District. During the investigations it was observed that pockets of cattle were left unvaccinated during the vaccination campaign in some areas of Kabompo district.The area besides serves as a trade route from Zambezi district, Kabompo district through Chilemba and to Solwezi district or the Copperbelt province. These areas are along the main road popularly known as the "Mutanda - Chavuma" road which stretches from Solwezi, the Provincial Capital of North Western Province to Zambezi and Chavuma at the border with Angola. The road is about 700 km long.

The area affected and the cattle distribution in Zambia is shown on the following map

The Zambia-Angola border is inhabited by communities with cultural ties and social interactions (celebrations of births, deaths and marriages, intracommunity sales of agricultural products). Furthermore, long standing civil strife in Angola resulted over more than two decades in movement of large numbers of people from Angola into Zambia. Many, but not all, returned to Angola when a form of peace broke out and some have come back again from Zambia. In this context, the control of CBPP through animal movements is a complex situation, requiring the border area of Angola to be included into a common disease control strategy with the Western region of Zambia.

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1. It is understood that the stead spread of CBPP is due to uncontrolled illegal movements of cattle to the market areas - Solwezi district and Copperbelt province. It is also evident that there are pockets of unvaccinated cattle along the route in Kabompo which are susceptible and responsible for the spread to naïve areas. It is therefore recommended that the current vaccination program reaches out to all these pockets.

2. The routes used by traders (including illegal) should be clearly defined so that staff can be mobilised to man the camps along these routes.

3. The Department of Animal Production and Health should commence re-vaccination of all the affected Districts of North Western.

4. When the TCP ZAM/0169 funds will be accessible the training of Meat Inspectors on the Copperbelt will be vital. This will enable inspectors detect CBPP at the earliest time through meat inspections.

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A TCP project (TCP/ZAM/0169(E)) Emergency control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (CBPP & ASF) is operational since February 2002 with the aim to supporting the control operations already in place and to prevent further outbreaks of livestock diseases in Western Zambia resulting from the influx of refugee cattle from Angola. This project includes the training of Meat inspectors.

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Emergency Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases in Zambia technical cooperation project (TCP/ZAM/0169)

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Dept of Animal Production and Health, Zambia

Dr.J.Belemu - National Project Consultant. (report-Reviewing project activities, September 2002- Emergency Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases in Zambia,TCP/ZAM/0169).

Dr.Boubacar M.Seck (Mission report of consultancy, May 2002- Emergency Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases in Zambia,TCP/ZAM/0169)

EMPRES group

SADC(Southern African development community) web site

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