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30,000 vials of vaccine airlifted to save pigs
The Animal Production and Health Department has airlifted about 30,000 vials of Foot-and-Mouth immunisation vaccine from France as the disease spread to seven districts, including Gamapaha. “We decided to treat it as an emergency situation and airlift the vaccines to be used mainly on pigs,” Dr. Kumar de Silva, the department’s Director General, said yesterday. He said the vaccine would be used mainly to immunise pigs in the affected districts from tomorrow as they spread the disease. The other affected districts are Anuradapura, Vavuniya, Ampara, Trincomalee, Puttalam amd Kilinochchi. Since the epidemic erupted last month, action was taken to ban animal slaughter or transportation in and from infected areas and vaccinate all cattle. No pigs, goats or buffaloes have been vaccinated till now although they are also susceptible to the disease.
“From next year, pig breeders will have to buy their own vaccines from the private sector, We carry out vaccination of cattle as it affects the milk farmers and the dairy industry. However pig breeding is done for their meat and breeders can afford to buy vaccines,” Mr. de Silva said.
Foot-and-mouth battle: Farmers play role of vets
A Puttalam farmer spraying medicine on his cow in emergency moves to curb the spread of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Veterinarians have asked the farmers themselves to spray the medicine and care for the animals because of the danger if the vets go to infected farms, they might carry the infection to other farms. Pic by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe