Farmers to blame for fresh outbreak of cattle disease

by Carol Aloysius

Farmers who transport cattle without a valid permit are to blame for the fresh outbreak of the Hoof and Mouth cattle disease, Director, Animal Health, Department of Animal Production and Health, Dr A Sivasothy told the Sunday Observer.

“Transporting cattle or any hoofed animal without a valid permit is a punishable offence.

Many unscrupulous traders are still engaging in this illegal practice due to the demand for meat especially during religious festivals. Cattle from diseased areas, can spread the disease to other cattle and cause a fresh outbreak. This is the cause for the recent outbreak reported in several new districts”, he said.

Hoof and Mouth disease, first detected in late December last year, has affected thousands of cattle to date, and led to over 800 cattle deaths. He said his Department had distributed over 300,000 doses of vaccines (one dose per animal) to cattle owners and was awaiting a further 200,000 doses of vaccines from India, “any time now”.

Thirty-thousand doses had been imported from France last week.

“We have already despatched 5,000 doses to the affected areas. Even with the present stocks we can control the spread of the disease if cattle owners comply with our regulations to obtain valid permits prior to transporting their herd to slaughter houses”, he said. He said all cattle owners had been advised to immediately inform the authorities if they suspected an outbreak among their herd, and to isolate them from healthy cattle to contain the disease.