Published Date: 2021-08-25 20:19:30
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - India (05): (JK) cattle, spread, RFI
Archive Number: 20210825.8622291
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - INDIA (05): (JAMMU AND KASHMIR) CATTLE, SPREAD, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org
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Date: Mon 23 Aug 2021
Source: Greater Kashmir [abridged, edited]
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/srinagar/foot-and-mouth-disease-continues-to-kill-livestock-in-srinagar-outskirts
The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Hazaratbal and its adjoining areas on city outskirts continue to inflict losses on farmers in absence of vaccination.
[BA] of Burzahama locality said that within last week he lost 2 cattle to the disease while that last remaining ox is infected.
"It is incurring a huge loss on us, which is both financial and emotional. In the past few days, we lost a cow and a calf from the disease. In addition to the financial loss in thousands, this is an emotional trauma while seeing helpless animals dying of the disease," Ahmed said.
Some farmers living in Khimber and adjoining areas said that over the past month, the livestock continues to fall to the deadly [see comment] disease. They said authorities should step up the measures to tackle the issue.
For more than a month there has been a major outbreak around various districts in Kashmir. Central Kashmir's Budgam and south Kashmir's Pulwama have reported a high number of cases. As per the data, until end July [2021], around 18 000 cattle were reported to have been infected by FMD in Kashmir.
Nodal officer for FMD in Kashmir, Dr Anil Gupta, said that they are keeping an eye on the disease that has been unfolding. He said a host of measures have been taken to counter the disease, which has shown positive results.
Gupta, who is also joint director Institute of Animal Health & Biological Production, said that the vaccination process is in the pipeline. He said soon livestock will be covered under the vaccination around Kashmir.
"The lack of de-worming sometimes decreases the effectiveness of the vaccine. We have informed all the livestock owners about the de-worming process so that vaccination will prove helpful. For the past few weeks, we are continuously keeping records, sending teams to help farmers across Kashmir. In many districts we have succeeded in controlling the disease," Gupta said.
The officials said that in case of any problem regarding FMD, the farmers should contact the concerned animal husbandry officers of the area.
[Byline: Auqib Salam]
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Communicated by:
Mahmoud Orabi
<ahstandards@gmail.com>
[ProMED-mail thanks Mahmoud Orabi for this submission.
For the location of Hazaratbal, Srinagar, in Kashmir, see map at <tinyurl.com/mjn758he>.
While the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus had been, reportedly, widely circulating in Kashmir already during July 2021, vaccination still being "in the pipeline" is bad news. Notably, a recent FMD epizootic in Punjab, Kashmir's southern neighbor state, was attributed, at least partially, to vaccine failure (ProMED archive no. 20210804.8569599).
The Indian subcontinent has been a source of FMD serotype O virus strains spreading internationally several times during recent decades. Hence, the success in controlling the disease in India, mainly depending upon the efficacy and safety of the vaccines applied, is of importance beyond this subcontinent. The quality of the vaccine was subject to discussions in the past (see ProMED archive no. 20141112.2949071).
Genotyping results of the FMD virus strains currently circulating in Punjab and Kashmir and their matching rate in relation to the available vaccines would be helpful. - Mod.AS
HealthMap/ProMED map of Srinagar, Kashmir, India: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/6468]
