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Whinsley Masara Chronicle Reporter
OVER 1,000 dogs in Hwange District are reported to have succumbed to a suspected viral disease which was first detected in August last year.

Hwange district veterinary officer, Dr Lovemore Dube said the district had been hit by a suspected outbreak of canine distemper disease which has no cure, but can be prevented through vaccination.

He said between 1,000 and 1,500 dogs, nearly half of the dogs in the district had succumbed to the disease. In Hwange town alone, over 50 dogs were said to have died.

“The veterinary department, partnered with two non-governmental organisations, Painted Dog Conservation in Cross Dete and Veterinarians Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ), has been doing extensive vaccination outreach programmes to curb the outbreak,” said Dr Dube.

He said the disease was first detected in August last year, near Victoria Falls.

“It happened that one dog was already sick from canine distemper and the disease spread. The disease continued to spread like a wildfire to other areas such as Jambezi and persisted in the eastern parts of the district,” Dr Dube said.

“A number of villagers have lost their dogs with the clinical symptoms suggesting that the pets might have succumbed to canine distemper. By now, half the population of the district’s dogs, which is 1,000 to 1,500, have died of the disease.”

The district veterinary officer said they were urging people to ensure that their dogs were vaccinated and failure to do so would be tantamount to cruelty against animals.

He said the government has a rabies vaccination programme only and two Non-Governmental Organisations, the Painted Dog Conservation and the Animal Welfare Zimbabwe were vaccinating dogs against canine distemper.

“Between September and October last year, Painted Dog Conservation vaccinated over 1,000 dogs from villages for free on the eastern parts of the district adjacent to the Hwange National Park. The painted dog is one of the endangered species in the world and as such the annual vaccination programmes by this NGO are part of protecting this species from extinction. VAWZ also distributed an extra 200 doses for vaccinating dogs in the western part of the district,” he said.

Canine distemper is a contagious and serious viral illness with no known cure. The disease affects young, unvaccinated puppies and non-immunised older dogs and certain species of wildlife. It is related to the measles virus which affects humans.