Sacrificial animals pose threat of congo virus
District Officer Health Department Rawalpindi Dr Khalid Randhawa said that it was recently discussed in a meeting with the livestock department that all sacrificial animals coming to urban areas will be vaccinated and their movement restricted to specific areas. But no veterinary camps have been set up in the cattle markets and the vendors are roaming around the city with their animals unrestricted, he added.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Sharif Astori of Polyclinic Hospital said, “Congo fever is a fatal disease. It was necessary for authorities to advertise the issue.” He said that free roaming of sacrificial animals in the city should have been restricted and “at least one camp of veterinary doctors to vaccinate the animals should have been set up at every cattle market”.
Dr Astori said that congo fever is a tick-borne viral disease found among domestic and wild animals that can also be transmitted to humans. Cows, bulls, goats and other sacrificial animals have more chances of carrying ticks on them and hence are susceptible to the disease.
However, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amir Ali Ahmad said that the ICT administration was not responsible for setting up veterinary camps at every sacrificial market. “The administration was only responsible for ensuring security arrangement at the cattle markets.”
CDA Director Environment Dr Suleman Sheikh said that vaccination was “not necessary for healthy animals”.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2010.
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