Vaccination of cattle starts amid FMD scare at Chhat village

Satiner Pal Singh

Zirakpur, February 24

After the death of a bison and two gorals at Mahendra Chaudhury Zoological Park, commonly known as Chhatbir Zoo, in January due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the Animal Husbandry Department dispatched its teams for the vaccination of cattle in nearby villages.

It has written to the departments concerned to conduct a door-to-door survey in the area.

Meanwhile, farmers of Chhat village and nearby areas are spending sleepless nights as the news about the disease claiming lives of three animals at the zoo and eight cattle at the village went viral. However, the Animal Husbandry Department stated that no cattle had died in the village due to the foot-and-mouth disease so far.

However, taking precautionary measures, a team of veterinary doctors have been asked to keep an eye on cows suffering from fever at the village as there is a risk that they might have been infected by the virus.

Farmers are too resorting to primitive methods to combat the disease.

Herbivores at the Chatbir zoo have been cordoned off for nearly 21 days on directions of the Animal Husbandry Department.

On the other hand, following the recent outbreak of the disease, the Health Department too had set up a team of doctors, including accredited social health activists (ASHA) and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), to conduct a door-to-door survey.

Paramatma Saroop, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Mohali, said precautionary measures had already been taken. The teams are focusing on proper medication in the nearby areas of the village.

Dr Amarjit Singh, Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab, said apart from the zoo, no deaths among the cattle in Chhat village due to the foot-and-mouth disease had been reported.

The Director added that a team of veterinary officers had been deployed to the areas currently conducting vaccination to prevent the spread of the disease.

Measures taken

In January, a bison and two gorals had died due to foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease at Mahendra Chaudhury Zoological Park in Chhat village, after which  Animal Husbandry Department dispatched its teams for the vaccination of cattle in nearby villages. Herbivores at the zoo have been cordoned off for nearly 21 days. The Health Department too has set up team for the door-to-door survey in nearby areas.