‘Foot and Mouth Disease’ outbreak in Pulwama villages

Pulwama, May 18: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has struck sheep in multiple villages of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district causing agony among breeders.
Residents informed Rising Kashmir that the outbreak has been reported from Nownagri, Babgam, Wasoora and many adjoining villages in the area.
Adil Ahmad Allie, a sheep herder, said that the outbreak was reported in Nownagri and adjoining villages 15 days ago.
He said that the viral disease has infected many sheep in their area.
“The infected sheep show symptoms like limping, high body temperature, horn and hoof fall and discharge of foamy saliva through the mouth,” Adil said, adding that in severe cases the infected animal shows decreased appetite and stops taking fodder.
He said that some infected animals don’t even show any symptoms and die suddenly.
He said that the disease is especially fatal among young ones.
“The disease has caused death among many lambs in the area,” another herder, Mohammad Shafi said, adding that the disease inflicted heavy losses to the sheep breeders.
He urged husbandry officials to help them in controlling the spread of this disease before it takes a further toll on their sheep.
The sheep breeders said that the department of sheep husbandry used to carry vaccination in their area against FMD.
He said that for the past two years they were not provided the vaccine by the concerned department.
District Officer Sheep Husbandry Pulwama, Dr Mohammed Ashraf, said that they sent a team on Saturday morning to the affected area.
He said Pulwama has around 1.80 lakh sheep and the quantity of FMD vaccine provided to them is less than required.
“We utilised the quantity which was supplied to us,” he said, adding that FMD can infect even vaccinated sheep.
He advised sheep breeders not to panic and follow their already issued advisory.
He said that sheep breeders need to isolate infected sheep, wash their mouth and feet with boro-gylcerine and use appreciative analgesic after consulting a concerned sheep doctor.