After floods, viral infection suspected to be taking a toll on cattle, about 10 cattle die in Hisar village

Panic has gripped the cattle-rearing farmers in Harikot village of the district as about 10 cattle, including buffaloes and cows, have died due to a disease in the last seven days.

The villagers said that four buffaloes died on Monday and scores of other cattle, including buffaloes, cows and calves, are seriously ill.

The villagers demanded that the district administration immediately take action to save the ailing cattle and prevent the spread of the disease.

The villagers suspect it to be foot-and-mouth disease, which seems to be taking a toll on the cattle. However, Dr Mitu, a veterinary surgeon of the Animal Husbandry Department at the Mangali veterinary hospital, said that they started vaccination for HS and FMD among the cattle in the village after residents reported the cattle deaths on Monday.

She denied that the deaths were due to FMD, stating that it is a viral infection caused by dirty water, as stagnant water from a canal breach and excessive rains was being used for the cattle.

She said that it seems the cattle drinking the stagnant and stale water contracted the infection, leading to some deaths. She added that their team has been dispatched to the village for vaccination and to attend to the ailing cattle.

She said they could not get any dead animals for post-mortem examination as none of the villagers had reported the deaths to them.

Meanwhile, the villagers said that the death of about 10 cattle has created an alarming situation in the village, with livestock owners facing losses running into lakhs of rupees. The outbreak has spread panic, and villagers are struggling to protect their remaining animals, they said.

A villager, Rajesh, told The Tribune today that families have lost their cattle, including buffaloes, cows, and calves, and identified some owners as Rajesh, Rasal, Ramesh, Sandeep, Ravinder, Pushkar, Ram Kishan, and Madan Kumar, among others.

On September 22 alone, four cattle died in a single day, he said, adding that despite veterinary teams visiting earlier for vaccination and check-ups, the disease continues to take a toll on animals every day.

The villagers have urged Chief Minister Nayab Saini, Cabinet Minister Ranbir Gangwa, and the district administration to send a special veterinary team immediately and provide treatment to the ailing cattle. They have also demanded compensation for livestock owners who have suffered losses.