Published Date: 2024-05-20 02:39:58 BST
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - India (03): (JA) sheep
Archive Number: 20240520.8716616
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - INDIA (03): (JAMMU & KASHMIR) SHEEP
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Date: Sat 18 May 2024
Source: Rising Kashmir [edited]
https://risingkashmir.com/foot-and-mouth-disease-outbreak-in-pulwama-villages/
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.
[AAA], 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," [AAA] 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, [MS] 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 2 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 [18 May 2024] to the affected area.
He said Pulwama has around 1.80 lakh [180 000] 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-glycerine and use appreciative analgesic after consulting a concerned sheep doctor.
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[The Pulwama district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region. As indicated in the news report above, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has broken out in the reported areas of the district, affecting sheep.
"Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the world's most economically important viral diseases of livestock. The virus infects cattle, pigs, and sheep and many cloven-hoofed wildlife species.
"Clinical signs of FMD in sheep and goats can be largely inapparent. However, lameness is usually the first clinical sign of FMD infection observed in sheep and goats. This is followed by fever and vesicular development on the interdigital cleft, heel bulbs, coronary band, and mouth. Vesicles may also form on the teats of lactating animals and rarely on the vulva and prepuce. Secondary infections result in reduced milk yield, chronic lameness, and predisposition to other viral infections, including sheep/goat pox and peste des petits ruminants. Similarly to young pigs, infection in immature sheep and goats can result in death without clinical signs due to heart failure.
"Control of FMD can be successfully achieved with good veterinary services, enabling rapid diagnosis and implementation of control measures, including, in some circumstances, the use of vaccines.
"Inactivated virus vaccines protect for only 4-6 months against the specific serotype(s) contained in the vaccine" (https://www.msdvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/foot-and-mouth-disease/foot-and-mouth-disease-in-animals#Properties-of-Foot-and-Mouth-Disease-Virus_v53073798). - Mod.PKB
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Jammu and Kashmir State, India: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8716616,305]