Special permits to transport cattle from infected areas

by Carol Aloysius

The Department of Animal Health has informed livestock owners in areas infected by the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) that they need special permits to transport cattle to another district or even in the same district as the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) still prevails in some districts.

They will be given special permits", Director, Animal Health, Dr A. Sivasothy told the Sunday Observer.

The five infected districts are Puttalam, Mannar, Anuradhapura, Gampaha and Kandy. The last reported case on April 17 was from Mannar. The disease has affected 14,800 head of cattle since it broke out in December 2013.

Around 330 head of cattle have died from the disease, according to statistics up to April 18.

Dr. Sivasothy said that the Health Ministry had imported 45,000 vials of vaccine due to the current emergency situation in the country to check the spread of the the infection among non infected cattle. In addition, another 62,000 vials of locally produced vaccine were sent to these areas. Referring to rumours of a new strain of bird flu H7N9 spreading to Sri Lanka from China, he said, "We don't import any live poultry from infected countries and have very strict quarantine procedures with regard to poultry or poultry products" he said.