386 Cases of FMD Found in Cattle in Himachal's Kangra

As many as 386 cases of Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have been reported in pet animals across Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh. Maximum 300 cases have been reported from the Harsar area followed by 50 in Dehra, 21 in Nagrota Bagwan’s Malan, and 15 in Nagrota Suriyan’s Sakri, according to official figures. FMD is a highly contagious viral disease in animals. One of the most serious livestock diseases, FMD affects cows, buffalo, camels, sheep, goats, deer and pigs.

People who depend upon livestock for livelihood are worried for their bread and butter. Cattle owners in the district believe that FMD has spread in the area due to the animals from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir who strayed into the empty area of Pong Lake in Dehra Gopipur Division of Kangra a few months ago.

Locals said that buffaloes that came from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to the Pong Lake area had FMD and many of them also died because of this. They alleged that the government and administration did not take steps to prevent the spread of the disease. As a result, now the animals of the surrounding villages have also contracted the virus.

Subhash, the former deputy head of a village panchayat in the district said, “Villagers have stopped taking their cattle to graze near Pong Lake to save them from the rapidly spreading FMD. We are taking extra care of our animals to prevent them from disease.”

Dr Rajesh Kumar, Chief Medical Officer at Sub-Divisional Veterinary Hospital, Dehra, informed that FMD spreads through contact with one animal to another. He has advised the people living on the banks of Pong Lake to tie their animals at home and not to leave them in open fields.

“We have 386 reported cases of FMD in Kangra district. Most of the cases are from the areas adjacent to Pong Lake. Nomads of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir had come with their cattle near the banks of Pong Lake. Their cattle were having FMD and now it has spread to animals of the district,” he said.

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