Flood damage: 0.2m cattle infected and 29,000 dead

Animals are dying of mouth, skin and paw infections and are eating insect-infected fodder.

MITHI: An outbreak of diseases in the Thar desert has killed a large number of cattle and about 200,000 are infected by various diseases.

The most common are infections in the mouth, nostrils and paws. Insects have attacked wild fodder which causes indigestion.

There was an influx of animals in the area after flooding began. People from the worst rain-hit areas like Badin and Mirpurkhas migrated with their livestock as there was no dry ground left.

There was an addition of over 150,000 heads of cattle and 75% of them were buffaloes.

“A large number of goats have died due to the ‘Teer’ disease,” said Manji Bheel of Bhitiyun ji Veri village.

Teer is a local name for indigestion.

He said that camels are also getting skin diseases. “First the fur starts falling, and then its skin develops wounds.” The government claims that 29,000 cattle died in Thar, but unofficial numbers are higher. The teams from the animal husbandry department vaccinated around 85,000 animals and treated 36,000.

The people in the desert mainly survive on livestock. On the other hand 10 veterinary camps have been set up in Benazirabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd,  2011.