8 September 2025 by Limpho Sello

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If you are still holding on to the old saying that “the cow’s grave is the stomach,” health experts want you to think again. Eating meat or any animal products from sick animals could expose you and your family to deadly diseases—from rabies and anthrax to newer threats linked to climate change.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) explains rabies is a very dangerous disease, but it can be prevented. It spreads to people and pets when they are bitten or scratched by an animal that has rabies. This disease attacks the brain and nerves. If you have rabies and do not get medical help before signs of sickness show, rabies almost always causes death.

On the other hand,the CDC says anthrax is another serious disease caused by germs that live in the soil. These germs often affect farm animals like cows, goats, and sheep. People can get anthrax if they touch sick animals, breathe in the germs, eat food, or drink water that has been contaminated. Even a small cut on the skin can let the germs in.

In Lesotho, experts are warning that these two deadly diseases remain a daily threat, with new outbreaks already reported this year.

“While the last major anthrax outbreak occurred in 2019, new cases resurfaced in February 2025 across Leribe, Botha-Bothe, Maseru, and Teyateyaneng. Fortunately, only animals were affected, and quick response, through vaccination and animal movement control, contained the spread,” explained Dr. Mookho Ntia from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition.

This has triggered urgent calls for closer cooperation between the ministries of health, agriculture, and environment. On August 26, 2025, Maseru hosted an International Health Regulations and Performance of Veterinary Services (IHR–PVS) Bridging Workshop, where experts stressed the need for Lesotho to establish a formal One Health system to better fight diseases that spread between animals, people, and the environment.

“So far, about 80 percent of infectious diseases in humans originate from animals,” Dr. Ntia told Uncensored News on the sidelines of the August workshop.

“That means veterinary services have a role, human health has a role, and the environment also has a role.”

She explained that rabies remains widely misunderstood. “Many people believe it is simply a mental health issue, but once symptoms appear, it cannot be cured and is always fatal,” she said.

Ntia warned that suspected cases involving rabid dogs and cattle are reported almost every day, underscoring the disease’s persistent threat in Lesotho.

Meanwhile, District Environment Officer in Quthing, Sello Mabatla, says poor natural resource management is compounding the problem of anthrax disease in Lesotho.

“Livestock are competing with wildlife for water and grazing land,” Mabatla explained, adding “as livestock and wildlife interact more, transmission of diseases increases, and eventually, humans are also affected.”

He urged the mapping of all protected areas to minimise livestock-wildlife competition.

“Domestic animals can be vaccinated, but what about wild animals in the bush? No one vaccinates them. That is why this workshop is important — it will help us come up with a comprehensive solution,” he said.

The misuse of antibiotics

Meanwhile, at the same workshop experts also warned that the misuse of antibiotics is quietly fuelling a new crisis.

Dr. Ntia said farmers often buy veterinary medicines over the counter and inject animals without guidance. Ignoring withdrawal periods before slaughter leaves residues in meat, which accelerate antimicrobial resistance.

“This problem also happens in human health,” Dr. Ntia added.

“When doctors prescribe ten antibiotic pills, patients sometimes stop after five. This incomplete use of antibiotics makes bacteria resistant. One day, those infections will no longer respond to treatment.”

Global call for preparedness

WHO Country Representative to Lesotho, Dr. Innocent Bright Nuwagira, reminded delegates that the International Health Regulations (IHR) were revised in 2005 to cover all health events of international concern, including zoonotic diseases, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance.

“A clear lesson from the Ebola crisis was that lack of preparedness in affected countries made stronger IHR implementation urgent,” Nuwagira said.

He highlighted that WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have harmonised their assessment tools — the WHO’s Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and the OIE’s Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) pathway — to help countries strengthen collaboration.

“This National Bridging Workshop is one of the main components of that approach, organised jointly by WHO and OIE,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ntia has warned that Lesotho currently lacks a formal One Health coordination structure, relying instead on ad hoc communication between ministries during crises.

“The workshop aims to change that,” she said.