Zimbabwe has been hit by a lumpy skin disease outbreak which is affecting cattle across the country, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The Herald quoted the Department of Veterinary Services principal director Stuart Hargreaves as saying that farmers should vaccinate their cattle against the disease.

He said the disease was not confined to Zimbabwe and has been reported in neighboring countries such as South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.

He assured farmers that the disease was not a major threat to the national herd because indigenous cattle breeds were at an advantage to be resistant to the lumpy skin disease.

He emphasized that prevention was the best way against the disease, warning that once a beast was affected, it would be too late to treat it.

Source: Xinhua