The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) has raised the alarm over a counterfeit veterinary vaccine circulating on the market, warning livestock keepers and veterinary medicine dealers to check the product carefully before use.
The fake product is Temevac NDV Strain I-2, a vaccine manufactured by the Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA). TMDA said investigations have established that the counterfeit version is not made by TVLA but is being distributed using forged labels designed to look like those of the genuine vaccine.
The warning puts veterinary medicine dealers, livestock owners and veterinary clinics on alert, as the use of unapproved medicines could expose animals to ineffective treatment and potentially undermine efforts to control livestock diseases.
TMDA said there are several features that can help users distinguish the genuine vaccine from the counterfeit.
On the genuine product, the TVLA logo contains a microscope, while the counterfeit label carries an image of a chicken.
The genuine label also has an aluminium foil finish on its left side, a feature that is missing from the fake product.
Another key difference is the product information. The genuine vaccine carries essential details, including the manufacturing date, expiry date and batch number, while the counterfeit product does not have a batch number.
TMDA has urged veterinary medicine wholesalers and retailers, as well as owners of veterinary clinics, to inspect the vaccine carefully before selling or administering it to animals.
Those who identify the counterfeit product have been directed to stop using it immediately and report it to TMDA offices in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, Mbeya, Songea, Tabora or Geita.
Members of the public can also report suspected counterfeit veterinary medicines through TMDA's toll-free number 0800110084.
The authority's warning highlights the need for livestock owners to obtain veterinary medicines from authorised dealers and verify product details before use, particularly where counterfeit products can be difficult to distinguish from genuine medicines.