Bihar can now avail funds from a centrally-sponsored scheme to conduct vaccination camps this year for controlling 'foot and mouth disease (FMD)' in cattles and buffalos.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease primarily of cattle and buffalo. The disease also affects goats, sheep, pigs, wild ruminant species and elephants. The economic losses to the livestock industry atrributed to FMD are large.
Bihar has been included under the centrally-sponsored 'Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control programme' during 2014-15 so as to enable the state government to officialy start work on its implementation, an official statement said.
A decision in this regard was taken after the Agriculture Ministry assessed the feasibility and preparedness of the state to implement intensive FMD control programme in the state, it said.
The state government has been requested to assess the available infrastructure and inform the central government about the schedule for carrying out vaccination of eligible cattle and buffalo population in the state in pulse mode along with action plan, it added.
Under the programme, vaccination is done twice a year with trivalent (O, A and Asia1) vaccine. The cattle are screened prior and post vaccination to check immunity levels.
About Rs 1,744 crore has been allocated for implementation of the FMD control programme during the 12th Five Year Plan.
