Foot and Mouth Disease detected in Arunachal Pradesh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Large numbers of livestock have been hit hard in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh with the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

The Namsai, Lohit and Papum Pare districts are the worst affected and many livestock have also died, an official communiqué informed here on Wednesday.

Foot and Mouth Disease is an economically important viral disease of all cloven-hoof animals.

The situation of FMD outbreak in the State was reviewed on Tuesday in a meeting held under the chairmanship Veterinary & Animal Husbandry Minister Tage Taki, which was also attended by the department's secretary Bidol Tayeng and director Dr SL Dirkhipa, apart from other senior officers from the directorate.

All the DAHVOs and DIOs of the State also participated in the meeting through virtual mode.

After taking stock of the situation across the State, it was directed that the district authorities shall continue to keep strict vigilance on the occurrence and spread of the disease in the districts.

The district administrations have been directed to immediately issue prohibitory orders to restrict inter-district and inter-State movement of cattle. The restriction shall be mainly enforced at the inter-State check gates and porous borders.

All the DAHVOs and DIOs were directed to act proactively through their field functionaries and collect epidemiological information on the spread of disease in the districts.

Presuming the shortage of VOs and paravets in the districts, directions have been issued to create proper awareness on the disease and take steps for prevention of the disease in the district through the panchayat members, GBs and the progressive farmers.

There is no shortage of medicines in the department. Most of the districts have been provided adequate medicines to combat the outbreak of FMD. However, the districts with more requirements of medicines have been directed to collect the same from the directorate as per need.

Vaccines for preventive measure against FMD from the Centre are also likely to reach the department shortly and all the DAHVOs were directed to initiate necessary pre-vaccination steps.

Tayeng directed the DAHVOs and DIOs of the State to report the status of FMD outbreak on every Friday to the directorate for monitoring the situation.

The Minister urged all the field functionaries of the department to be more vigilant and proactive in monitoring and combating the disease to ensure safeguarding the health of livestock resources of the State.

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