Friday, July 18, 2008

Worked cattle in Panda district outside of Tanga. About five groups of cattle, each about 60-80 in size. The locals beat the hell out of their cattle once they are in the corral in order to get them in the “crush” line in front of the dip tank that each animal must jump into and then swim through. It had been charged with new insecticide, which apparently was a permethrin base (a bottle was left outside). They only recharge it once every few months. They threw one of their dogs in to the dip and he frantically tried to get up the side until one of the men prodded him toward the end where he could step out. Close call. The last group of herders was better at moving the animals into the crush; they moved them as a group instead of individuals.

The crush is poorly designed with sharp angled corners that do not promote the cattle rolling into the crush entrance. It has a concrete floor with wooden posts spaced at about four feet intervals and wooden branches tailed into two horizontal rails. The cattle are almost all Indicus with the largest ones being about 150 kilograms. Very small calves which in the southeastern US would be no more than a few weeks old are 3-5 months old according to the local extensionist who worked with us.

CPT Coenen and I started out administering the drugs, she the isometamidium (Veridium, Samorin) injectable for Nagana (trypanosomiasis) from the right side of the crush and I the injectable ivermectin from the left. The two extensionists Freddy and Ma Safe eventually took over the ivermectin duties while I helped recharge syringes, change needles, and mix up additional isometamidium.