Cattle markets in Rukungiri have been opened five years after they were closed to curb the spread of foot and mouth disease.
Announcing the opening of the cattle markets today, the Rukungiri District Veterinary Officer, Johnson Ninsiima, said foot and mouth disease had been contained. He said that although incidents of the disease were recently reported in Ntungamo and Kabale, precautions had been taken to ensure that it did not spread any further.
The cattle markets in Rukungiri were also closed in 2005 because of an increase in the spread of lumpy skin disease. The disease is not fatal, but prolonged illness of infected animals leads to their detriment.
Johnson Ninsiima said animals with lumpy skin disease in Rukungiri have been treated and no new case has been reported in the district in the past six months.
Despite the lifting of the ban on cattle markets, Ninsiima said all traders transporting their animals to markets must first obtain letters from the local council authorities and movement permits from the district veterinary office. He said this would prevent further outbreak of disease.
The largest cattle market in Rukungiri is in Nyamayenje. It is a bi-monthly market that traders as far as Kampala, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
