Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Botswana: experience with control, eradication, prevention and surveillance.

Botswana experienced an outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in February 1995 after 56 years of freedom from the disease. The outbreak was confined to the north-western region of the country in the Ngamiland District. CBPP was eradicated by applying the stamping-out policy that was implemented in April 1996 and resulted in the slaughter of 320,000 cattle. The Botswana government compensated farmers, offering them different compensation options. By the end of 1997, the restocking exercise introduced 70,000 cattle into Ngamiland. Botswana was declared CBPP-free by the World Organisation of Animal Health in 1998. Prevention strategies, which included border control, quarantine and animal movement controls, were implemented to reduce the risk of reintroduction of the disease as CBPP is still present in neighbouring countries. Serological surveillance and abattoir inspections are conducted in high-risk areas.