Possible epidemic: Cattle at risk as foot-and-mouth disease on the rise

Tribesmen say no arrangements were made to vaccinate the cattle.

HANGU: At least 12 cattle have reportedly died in Lower Orakzai Agency in the last month due to the foot-and-mouth disease coupled with a lack of veterinary physicians in the area. 

Tribesmen in the agency said the disease has spread in Mishti, Firozkhel, Utmankhel, Sheikhan and Anjghali in the last couple of weeks while they have no arrangements to treat it. Malik Shah Muhammad, a resident of Firozkhel, said their cattle starts spitting out saliva mixed with blood from their mouth and die within 24 hours. The infection also spreads to their feet, causing blisters.

Another tribesman, Malik Mehraban, said there are only three veterinary hospitals in Lower Orakzai and those too remain deserted. He added that there was no doctor or assistant in the agency to treat the animals. While talking about cattle vaccines, Mehraban said no arrangements were made to vaccinate the cattle and this was probably the reason the disease had spread.

When contacted, Orakzai Agency Livestock In-charge Dr Khalid Younas said they have received reports of six cases from the area while there was no news of any deaths.

“It is a seasonal disease which mostly infects cattle at the end of February or early March,” said Dr Younas adding they had immunised the animals in Sater Saam and Maracco and plan to dispatch teams to other areas soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2014.