Veterinary department says 314 buffaloes died in the last one month
Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 29
Outbreak of Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS), an acute, fatal, septicaemic disease of cattle and water buffaloes in the districts of Peren and Dimapur is under control, according to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.
At least 90 % of the disease outbreak among the buffaloes has been brought under control, said Chief Veterinary Officer, Peren District Dr P Atem Longchar on Friday. He also informed that the Veterinary department has also taken up “Ring Vaccination” drive in the surrounding villages so that the disease does not spread further.
The disease had affected six villages under Peren district namely Punglwa, Gaili, Ngwalwa, Heninkunglwa, Dunki-Lamhai and Saijang. An estimate of 314 buffaloes succumbed to the diseases within a span of one month, as per the data obtained from the Veterinary department.
Farmers in the said areas are fully dependent on the buffaloes for ploughing the rice fields. Dr Longchar said there more than 1500 buffaloes owned by the six villages. With the outbreak of HS, around 20% of the buffaloes have already died, he added.
A Rapid Response Team has also been made operational from Punglwa village area since the last eight days. “There has been incidences of a few deaths during the last few days, but death in large numbers have subsided,” another veterinary doctor from Peren district informed.
Dr Longchar said the reason for the high death toll is because most of the animal are left to graze freely in a common ground without the owners monitoring their well being.
Because of this, he said staffs of Veterinary department had to undergo a tough time traversing across the jungles and remote areas to administer vaccination to the animals and at the same time get proper data on the status of the affected animals.
Meanwhile, Dr Longchar informed that the first outbreak of the HS disease was first detected from Razaphema area under Dimapur district. “The epidemic first started from Razaphema area where there is a common grazing ground for the buffaloes. It then spread to Peren, he said.
While the outbreak of the disease may be under control at moment, there are still apprehensions. Dr Longchar said the farmers and buffalo owners are finding it very difficult to contain the animal at home, with not enough fodder to provide.
If the buffaloes are let loose to graze freely in the open area, there are high chances that the disease may spread further, he said.
