Page 147 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

effects including anaemia, haemorrhages, skin condition, irritation, emaciation, loss
of weight and reduced production.

Approaches of managing livestock health

In management of livestock health, two approaches are applied; either curative or
preventive. Curative ways include the use of drugs and chemicals to treat the disease
while preventive ways focus on the control measures against the disease-causing
agents or their vectors.

Preventive measures used to manage livestock health
Preventive measures used in managing livestock health include vaccination/
inoculation, control of vectors, use of prophylactics, quarantine/isolation, sanitation,

and proper nutrition.
(a) Vaccination
Refer to the introduction of the vaccine into the animal body in order to provide
protection from a specific disease. A vaccine is a biological product which is
administered to the animal body to stimulate production of antibodies against the

diseases which the microorganisms cause. There are various ways of administering
vaccines to livestock depending on the type of vaccine and manufacturer instruction.
All vaccines should be administered under technical advice from extension workers
or qualified veterinarian.

(b) Control of vectors
Parasites such as ticks and tsetse fly spread diseases to livestock by spreading
disease causing agents. Control of parasites is mainly by using chemicals such as
acaricide that kills the parasite and helps to control the spread of diseases. Dip tanks,
spray races and sprayers are some of the facilities employed in the process. Besides
chemical control, tsetse flies can be controlled by different techniques including

traps.
(c) Use of prophylactics
Healthy animals are given drugs at regular intervals to avoid infection. This is done

under supervision of qualified veterinarian.
(d) Quarantine/Isolation

During the outbreaks of infectious diseases such as African swine fever and Foot and
Mouth Disease (FMD), movements of animals and their by-products are restricted
in order to avoid further spread of diseases to other areas. Likewise, sick animals
should be isolated from healthy ones in order to avoid the spread of the disease.

Student’s Book Form Three
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AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 136 10/01/2025 12:31