Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in domestic animals has caused a widespread panic in the valley as around 600 animals have died so far in the valley.
People from different areas of Kashmir while talking with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that owing to the disease they have lost their cattle which were their only source of income.
Nazir Ahmad a resident of Budgam area said that he lost his cow after it suffered from a disease in the mouth.
“I spent nearly six thousand rupees on medicines for the cow, but it could not recover and died,” he said.
People from Kangan and Rohmoo villages in Pulwama said that everyday animals die there due to FMD and authorities have failed to stop the spread of the viral infection due to shortage of vaccine.
They said that dozens of people living in the area also lost their cows due to the mouth disease.
Farmers said the government should provide compensation to families who have lost their domestic animals in this pandemic situation.
Meanwhile, top officials of the animal husbandry department told KNO that so far around 18,000 cases of food and mouth diseases have been reported in Kashmir division since the outbreak of the disease this year.
Pulwama and Budgam district have got severely affected as around 6000 cases have been reported from only these twin districts.
Dr Anil Gupta Nodal officer for Foot and Mouth Disease in Kashmir told KNO that of 17,723 cases reported more than 15,000 animals have recovered after they were treated by the officials of the department.
He said that the mortality rate is just around four percent and it is generally the young animals that die, while elder ones mostly recover.
He also said that around 627 awareness camps were organised by the department in the valley to educate the people to avoid its spread.
In Anantnag, so far 1,632 cases have been reported among them 34 have died. In Budgam 2,968 cases have been reported and 91 animals have died, Bandipora has reported 2,400 cases with 52 deaths, Baramulla 2,139 cases with 91 deaths, Ganderbal, 1,430 cases with 62 deaths, Kulgam 1,751 cases with 29 deaths, Kupwara 1,434 cases with no death, Pulwama 2,759 cases with 216 deaths, Shopian 919 cases with 15 deaths and Srinagar 291 cases with seven deaths.
As per data 15,070 animals have recovered and 2,056 are active besides that 162 samples have been taken.
Officials of the department also urged people to avoid sending their domestic animals for grazing in areas where this disease has already affected animals.
“In case any domestic animal is facing any kind of illness, people can easily contact the nearest animal husbandry centre and within no time officials will reach to the door step to treat them,” they said.
Dr Anil Gupta said that vaccines are in pipelines and will get vaccines shortly.
He added that de-worming process has been started as of now so that vaccines will be more effective—(KNO)