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HEALTH: FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE
A Cloven Curse
The viral infection spreads to
Punjab and Haryana taking a toll on livestock---and the dairy industry
Until
last fortnight, Charanjit Singh of Ghaloti village in Punjab's Ludhiana
district had been happy with his dairy business. Suddenly three of his
20 cattle began showing lesions on the foot and mouth. The animals began
to froth at the mouth and their feet trembled even as their temperature
rose. The milk yield dwindled to less than half. Soon a crossbred cow
costing Rs 23,000 and a buffalo worth Rs 16,000 perished.
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HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS: Besides the cattle themselves,
humans also act
as carriers of the virus |
Ghaloti is only one of the villages affected
by the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease, a contagious viral
infection that periodically strikes cattle in Punjab and Haryana. Out
of nearly 200 cattle heads afflicted, two dozen have died in the past
one month. Animal Husbandry Department officials claim that the disease
has been controlled by ring vaccination but cattle from neighbouring villages
are showing FMD symptoms.
Although veterinary doctors in Punjab are not
panicking ("We have been living with FMD for a long time now,"
says G.S. Chahal, director, animal husbandry, Punjab), the outbreak of
the disease-the fourth since October last-is causing worry to the dairy
industry and the government. Production losses due to FMD in India come
to around Rs 400 crore every year. There is also concern over the adverse
effect of the outbreak on the country's export of milk, meat products
and livestock germplasm. The impending WTO regime entails stringent quality
restrictions on exports which could hit India badly if FMD spreads in
a big way.
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"The quality
of the anti-FMD vaccine is not up to the mark."
M.S. Oberoi, Veterinary microbiologist
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The disease has also assumed serious dimensions
this time in the wake of its outbreak in Europe, particularly Britain
and France, which have so far been FMD-free zones. The viral strain-O
variant-identified as the cause of the FMD epidemic now ravaging Britain
is the same as the one that has been striking cattle in India. There have
been allegations that India has exported the virus to Britain. But, says
Dev Raj Sharma, bacteriologist, department of epidemic and preventive
veterinary medicine at Punjab Agricultural University: "FMD is a
trans-national disease and the blame cannot be pinned on India."
Echoes K.S. Dangi, director, animal husbandry, Haryana: "The India
connection is being blown out of proportion to affect the country's exports."
The domestic market, on its part, is responding
cautiously. West Bengal, which buys cross-bred milch cattle from Punjab,
placed orders recently only after ensuring the cattle were not from the
FMD-affected areas.
The battle against FMD is not easy. Officials
say the frequent
FMD outbreaks have much to do with rapid climatic changes. The disease
spreads wildly and preventive methods often prove as futile as putting
down bush fires. The FMD virus can travel up to 22 km by wind, with humans
being important carriers. The consumption of infected meat by people is
not harmful though.
The reluctance of farmers to get their cattle
vaccinated also acts as a major stumbling block in the fight against FMD.
Much of the hesitation stems from the belief that the vaccine leads to
a shortfall in milk production despite claims by veterinary experts that
such an effect is only temporary. Besides, farmers have to bear 50 per
cent of the cost of the bi-annual vaccine-the other half is subsidised
by the Government.
Worse, the vaccination programme itself is short
of funds. Not more than 5 per cent of Punjab's one crore cattle is administered
the vaccine. The state requires Rs 12 crore for total immunisation but
gets less than a crore every year. Haryana has received only Rs 11 lakh
for FMD vaccination against a requirement of
Rs 7 crore.
There are serious doubts too over the quality
of the FMD vaccine as it is not subjected to pre-testing by the Government.
A recent field study by experts at Punjab Agricultural University found
that even vaccinated cattle were prone to the disease. Says M.S. Oberoi,
head of the department of veterinary microbiology: "The quality of
the vaccine is not up to the mark and often leaves animals injected with
it unprotected."
There are ambitious five-year plans both in
Punjab and Haryana to intensify the vaccination programme but unless the
vaccine itself is tested for its efficacy, the threat of FMD cannot be
wished away.
-Ramesh Vinayak
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