Suspected viral infection claims lives of 10 cattle head in Hisar village

Anxiety has gripped livestock owners in Harikot village of Hisar district after nearly 10 cattle head died over the past week, with villagers suspecting a viral infection following recent floods.

According to residents, several buffaloes, cows and calves have fallen seriously ill in recent days. “On September 22 alone, four cattle head died in a single day,” said Rajesh, a villager, told ‘The Tribune’. He said families including his own, along with those of Rasal, Ramesh, Sandeep, Ravinder, Pushkar, Ram Kishan and Madan Kumar, have lost valuable livestock. Losses are estimated to run into lakhs.

The panic-stricken villagers fear the outbreak could be foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, veterinary officials disagree. Dr Mitu, a veterinary surgeon from the Mangali hospital, said: “We have started vaccination against HS and FMD in the village after residents reported cattle deaths on Monday. But the cause is not FMD. It appears to be a viral infection caused by cattle drinking stagnant and dirty water left after excessive rains and a canal breach.”

She explained that the contaminated water likely triggered the infection, leading to deaths. “Unfortunately, no dead animals were reported to us for post-mortem, so we could not confirm the cause. Still, our teams are attending to sick animals and carrying out vaccination drives,” she added.

Despite the intervention, villagers say the disease continues to claim cattle lives daily. “The outbreak has spread panic. We are struggling to save our remaining animals,” said another farmer.

The villagers have appealed to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Cabinet Minister Ranbir Gangwa, and the district administration to deploy a special veterinary team and provide immediate relief. They have also sought compensation for livestock owners who have suffered losses.