Slaughtering sick animals may bring diseases to Karachi

Diseased cattle being brought to Karachi pose a serious threat to health in the city.


Ppi August 29, 2010

KARACHI: Cattle suffering from various diseases that are prevalent in the flood-affected and adjoining areas, are being brought for slaughtering in Karachi, posing a serious healthcare threat to Karachities.

Ali Muhammad, a meat merchant, told PPI at a local cattle market "Presently, cattle are being brought to Karachi particularly from Thar region."

He said though the Thar was not stricken directly by floods but affected indirectly through polluted winds which brought viruses and germs to the region, resulting in many diseases of livestock, particularly foot and mouth disease erupted in the area.

He said that another main problem is that a large number of cattle is falling prey to a kind of fever, created after bite of a certain mosquito.

He said this cattle disease which was not seen before recent floods. The affected cattle die within a few days.

He said the available fodder for animals is also wet and affected by fungus, increases death toll in cattle.

Ali said that livestock sector is suffering across Sindh, adding that no vaccination or veterinary team has visited the  local cattle market.

He said that he sells cattle, reared at his own cattle farm situated at Thar.

He said doctors at government veterinary hospitals in rural areas charge money for treatment and vaccination of cattle, which is out of reach of many poor cattle owners, particularly in ongoing situation in which cattle are continuously dying.

He said farmers are trying their level best to sell all of their flock even on heavy losses. There is neither an emergency veterinary camp held in our area nor an emergency team visited there, he said.

Another cattle trader Abdullah,  running a cattle farm told PPI that adulterated veterinary medicines and vaccines are present in markets across the Sindh.

He said that each and every animal either well or ill is being sold in cattle market and butchers purchase them on low rates. He added that traders have no other way but to sell their ailing animals, otherwise they face threat of loss of thousands of rupees.

He said that the situation is severe in Jacobabad, Larkana and other affected areas where foot and mouth disease is spreading amongst surviving animals.

He observed that prices of cattle have become low, temporarily, because farmers are selling their cattle on low rates under the threat of mortality due to diseases.

COMMENTS (1)

Mawali | 13 years ago | Reply And the beat goes on................
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ