Foot-and-mouth disease spreading in Sirajganj

Over a thousand cows die in 9 upazilas

29 July 2009, 17:00 PM

Golam Mostafa Jibon, Sirajganj

Foot-and-mouth disease of cows is spreading alarmingly for want of vaccines to prevent the deadly disease.Photo: STAR

Over a thousand cows have died and about five thousand others have been affected with 'foot-and-mouth disease', locally known as khura rog, in nine upazilas of Sirajganj district in last one month. Farmers are facing problem as they cannot use their cows to prepare lands in the peak season of Aman paddy cultivation. Owners of milk producing farms are also worried over the situation. There is no treatment for the disease while the vaccine to prevent the disease is yet to reach the areas, said officials of the Livestock Department. There are about 2.5 lakh cows in nine upazilas of Sirajganj district, which is famous for dairy farms. Many people of the district, especially in Shahzadpur upazila, depend on dairy farms that have been set up centring the Milk Vita Company and some other milk collection centres in Baghabari area, said farmers and farms owners. The disease appeared in a small scale about a month ago but it has now spread in an epidemic form in Raiganj, Kazipur, Sirajganj Sadar, Belkuchi, Tarash, Shahzadpur, Chowhaly, Ullapara and Kamarkhanda upazilas of the district. Shortage of vaccine and lack of necessary steps by the concerned livestock officials is seen as the cause for the large-scale spread of the disease. Symptom of the disease first appears in the form of fever, said farm owners, farmers and doctors. After two or three days, the animal is affected by foot and mouth disease and refrains from taking food. Within 10 to 15 days, it dies. Doctor said there is no treatment for the disease although it can be prevented if vaccine is used before infection. “I had four cows for ploughing lands. Two of them died of the foot and mouth disease and two others are affected. Now I cannot till my land in this peak season of Aman cultivation,” Akkas Ali, 55, a farmer of Kholapara village in Raiganj upazila, said. “I went to the local livestock office several times but the officials said they have nothing to do as there was no supply of vaccine,” he said. “In last two weeks, two cows died of the disease and I sold four other affected cows for low prices in the local market. Now eight of my 40 cows are affected with the disease. I went to the local livestock office for medicine and vaccine. But the doctors said there is no treatment for the disease. The disease can be prevented by vaccine but it is not available in hospitals or markets,” said Solaiman Ali, a dairy farm owner in Shahzadpur. When contacted, AKM Nazmul Hassan, deputy director of Rajshahi Divisional Livestock Office, said, “The higher authorities have allotted a good quantity of vaccine for the areas, but we are yet to get it. We will take necessary steps when the vaccine reaches us.”