Alert issued for surveillance of infected sacrificial animals

The Rawalpindi District Health has issued an alert for surveillance of cattle markets for possible Congo virus and lumpy skin disease infections in sacrificial animals ahead of Eidul Azha.

The development comes after 20 lumpy skin disease-infected animals were detected at the Rawalpindi’s Bhata cattle market a few days back.

At a joint meeting of health and livestock departments held on Monday, it was decided to deploy teams of veterinarians from health and livestock departments in all 11 cattle markets established in the Rawalpindi district.

The Rawalpindi District Health office on Monday issued the alert for containing Congo, coronavirus and lumpy skin disease infections in sacrificial animals.

The teams will hunt infected animals in every cattle market and move them for quarantine to save the livestock from catching the contagion in the cattle markets. It was also decided that the health department team will also check coronavirus vaccination cards of people and only those will be allowed to enter cattle markets who have received booster shots after receiving two doses of vaccines against Covid-19.

According to the health department, people must apply mosquito repellent lotions on body parts to avoid catching the infection from sacrificial animals.

Similarly, buyers have also been instructed to thoroughly check sacrificial animals to ensure that their bodies did not have ticks.

The meeting decided to put in place a robust regime to curb the spread of coronavirus, Congo virus and lumpy skin disease in animals in cattle markets.

Meanwhile, the district administration and the health department have again implemented the coronavirus SOPs after the steady rise of cases in the Rawalpindi district.

They also decided to put banners in all public places to raise awareness of the re-emergence of the coronavirus. Citizens have also been instructed to wear masks, keep social distancing and get themselves vaccinated and get a booster shot if they have already received the initial two doses against the deadly coronavirus.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2022.