‘The tick was not slow to take advantage’: Conflicts in the Struggle Against East Coast Fever in Southern Rhodesia (1901–1920)

In 1901, Southern Africa had its first East Coast Fever outbreak which accounted for large cattle losses. As the veterinarians from all over the world worked to understand the disease, new ‘unscientific’ theories emerged from amongst the settler farmers and in the process added to the confusion that made the development of an effective drug difficult. In Southern Rhodesia, this disease led to severe economic losses, both to the government and to the settlers. Drawing on primary sources, this study seeks to unpack the conflicting positions of the settler farmers and the Veterinary Department in Southern Rhodesia over East Coast Fever between1901and 1920. The study discusses its different conceptualisations by parties to the conflict. It demonstrates the general ignorance that pervaded the territory, both among the farmers and veterinary officials, and how this created a fertile environment for conflicts and, indeed, for the spread of East Coast Fever.