The Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Paro has now infected nearly 500 cattle in the seven affected gewogs. The disease containment team is working hard to prevent the further spread of the disease.
The team has been putting control measures in place at strategic areas. BAFRA officials are deployed at the Gunitsawa check post to monitor the movement of both people and animals from affected areas up to the highlands.
The containment team says most of the farmers are not being cooperative. “We have educated all the farmers on the risk factors for FMD spread from one village to another,” said Dr. Chundu Dorji, a Senior Veterinary Officer with the Regional Livestock Development Centre in Tsimasham.
“Yet, most of them are not cooperating. The animals are released freely into the forest and most of the animals share common grazing land.”
The villagers are also dumping the carcasses of cattle in Pachhu. Four carcasses of calves were discovered in the river near Tshendonang and Sharpa. The veterinary officials are advising people not to do so as it would spread the disease to the lower valleys.
“There are many free grazing animals in Uesuna and Sharpa and they may directly come into contact with the river,” said Dr. Chundu Dorji.
He says the carcasses must be buried 2 metres below the ground. 24 cattle deaths have been reported so far of which most were calves.
The Mangmi of Tsento Gewog, Chencho Gyeltsen, said the farmers in the gewog own mostly cow breeds locally known as Jatsa, Jatsam and Yangkhum and not jersey. “So, it is difficult for the farmers to keep them home,” he said.
However, he said they have been asking to keep their cattle home.
The disease containment team expects to be able to bring the outbreak under control in about three weeks from now. The first case of FMD was reported in Lamgong Gewog in June this year.
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