Foot and mouth disease claims 2,332 heads of cattle in Karna

The foot and mouth disease (FMD) has claimed 2,332 heads of cattle in Karnataka as per initial estimation, Animal Husbandry Minister T B Jayachandra said today.
As many as 18,386 animals have been affected by the disease which has spread to 1,507 villages in the last few days, he told reporters here.
He hastened to add that the figures were "tentative" and had been compiled as per information gathered by the Department and the Karnataka Milk Federation. "We have to see whether there was duplication".
The Minister blamed shortage of veterinary doctors and absence of universal vaccination for the outbreak of FMD.

As many 950 veterinary doctors' posts are vacant in the department. Only 200 doctors have been discharging duties in the department and taken steps to control the disease.
All 26 doctors who are on deputation elsewhere have been told to return to the parent department. A decision has been taken to hire services of retired veterinary doctors to inject vaccination to cows, the Minister said.

Many cows died due to the viral infection. As a preventive measure, cattle have to be vaccinated twice a year. The disease affects early to high yielding cattle, particularly hybrid variety.
Besides forming teams of experts to check the spread of the FMD, Jayachandra said vaccination programme would be taken up on "pulse-polio mode".

Milk unions have been asked to give a compensation of Rs 10,000 (per animal) for those families who had lost their cows due to the disease, and they have "by and large" agreed to do so, the Minister said.
The extent of compensation by the Government would be decided by the Cabinet, Jayachandra said.