 By Joe De Capua Washington 23 November 2006 |
De Capua interview with FAO ra
The floods are also taking their toll on livestock in the region. Many goats and cattle are reported drowned.
Vincent Martin is an animal health officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. From Rome, he spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about the livestock at risk.
"The main danger is related to vector-borne diseases, which are diseases influenced by climate. And these diseases appear when you have such conditions like we’re observing these days of above average rainfall that can precipitate the upsurge of certain diseases, such as Rift Valley Fever,” he says.
Earlier this year, the region suffered from severe drought, and the lack of food and water killed many livestock. The animals that survived may now be more susceptible to illness. Martin says, “From a disease point of view, the succession of dryness followed by heavy rainfall is also excellent for the multiplication and amplification of mosquitoes, which can trigger epidemics such as…Rift Valley Fever. And therefore you’ve got the combination of weakened animals and excellent conditions for vectors and viruses to emerge and infect the livestock or humans.”
Martin says, ”There’s an urgent need for veterinary services in the field” to look for signs of disease. He says in some cases, preventive vaccines can be used to protect animals.
Source: VOA, Nov 23, 2006