In Zimbabwe, tick-borne diseases are responsible for 60% of deaths in cattle herds. Traditionally, the primary method of control has been to send animals through dip tanks containing a diluted acaricide. However, this practice is both extremely costly and impractical for small-scale farmers. As an alternative, footbaths have been trialled on several farms. They have proved effective, affordable and much more sustainable, and are poised for nationwide implementation.
Almost 70% of people in Zimbabwe rely on the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe for a living. Livestock farming is a predominant practice in rural regions, playing a pivotal role in local protein provision. Most farms are modest subsistence enterprises, and almost all engage in grazing practices. Controlling ticks, the main vectors of disease on livestock farms, is therefore of utmost importance for the country.
In 2023, a team of scientists, farmers and veterinarians set up footbaths at the end of grazing routes in three parts of Zimbabwe. The innovation, developed by CIRAD some 20 years ago, had already proved itself in West Africa. The dozen or so farmers who took part in the study were all won over: the solution is effective and easy to implement.
Mr Makondo, a farmer in Chiredzi, was enthusiastic: “Since we started using the bath, we haven’t faced tick-borne diseases. It’s a bit more expensive to construct by one farmer, but if people get into groups it is possible to build it. Using it is very simple as my young boys are doing it without my help”.
For Mr Gumbe, Manager of a farm in Marirangwe, “the footbath reduces ticks on cattle. It is less laborious than the hand spraying that we use on the farm, and uses less water than spraying as it uses the same water for more than a month”.
Footbaths were originally developed in West Africa, and were transferred to Zimbabwe as part of the EU-funded DeSIRA LIPS and PACMAN projects. The aim was to offer an alternative to dip tanks: dip acaricide baths in which animals are dipped after grazing. “Dip tanks are effective, but they use a lot of water and acaricide”, Laure Guerrini, a CIRAD geographer specializing in geographic information systems, explains. “The doses used have to be adjusted constantly to remain effective, many tanks are obsolete due to lack of maintenance, and they are a source of stress for the animals, which have to go right into the tank with their heads barely above the water.”
Due to the increased occurrence of droughts and the prevailing economic challenges in the country, numerous livestock farmers are finding it challenging to utilize dip tanks effectively. Conversely, footbaths present a convenient alternative as they are simple to construct, cost-effective, require minimal water and acaricide, and have the capacity to treat large quantities of animals efficiently. Most importantly, they have shown efficacy in combating Amblyomma ticks, which are carriers of heartwater, a prevalent disease affecting sheep and cattle in Zimbabwe.
Obey Daga, a student at the University of Zimbabwe, monitored the footbaths on farms. She explained the operating principle: “Amblyomma attaches itself to the feet of cattle or goats and hides between the toes for the duration of the grazing period. The tick only detaches from the feet to move to the animal body when it is resting. Footbaths were thus installed towards the entrance of the pen so that the animals pass through the bath as they go for overnight penning. Footbaths considerably reduce Amblyomma tick densities in animals.”
The efficacy of the footbaths does not stop there, since they also work against other tick species. “When the footbath is used together with tick greasing it significantly reduces some brown and blue ticks as well”, Obey Daga is pleased to say. “It also works very well in areas where there is little or no grass cover over the soils and this is more defined in the drier regions of the country.” Footbaths use just small amounts of acaricide, and less water than deep tanks. This is a clear advantage during the dry season, which stretches from May to October or November in Zimbabwe.
Engaging farmers in the construction and supervision of footbaths has proved effective in promoting the acceptance of this innovation within local communities. Subsequent to the success of the preliminary outcomes, footbaths are currently being constructed nationwide, with ten already operational and an additional five in the pipeline for funding approval. The local government authorities oversee this initiative, while veterinary services offer assistance to the farmers.
“The footbath initiative is very good as it suits the conditions of our semi-arid region”, Mr Gono, a veterinary extension officer in Zimbabwe, explains. “It saves water and chemicals and thus even resource-limited farmers can use it. The idea is very welcome as the farmers are showing interest and are consulting us on how to construct the footbaths. Some have already taken the idea and implemented it on their farms.”
Dr S. Chikerema, a researcher at the University of Zimbabwe, supports a rollout of the method across the dry parts of the country. “Footbaths are not just highly effective, they are affordable and cause minimal environmental impact if dipping is done according to the recommendations.”
Alongside this control method, treatments and vaccines are also under development. However, the livestock sector in Zimbabwe is split between a large number of small farms, and transporting the drugs to all those farms is difficult. Footbaths, on the other hand, serve to pool resources in rural zones with few facilities.
In May 2024, the inauguration of a footbath in Masvingo attracted donors and international NGOs likely to release funding. The event was also attended by representatives from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), CIRAD, the Department of Veterinary Services in Zimbabwe, local government officials and the University of Zimbabwe.
AUTHORS
Cirad
SOURCE
Originally published on cirad.fr
PHOTOS
© Christopher Gadzirayi