Originally published December 14 2005
Foot-and-mouth-disease turns up in India
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Malad, India is the site of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which appeared in 18 cows after an examination at the Malad cattle pound found the symptoms that show in the early stages of the disease.
A medical check at the Malad cattle pound, yesterday, revealed that 18 of the 79 animals there, were suffering from the highly contagious foot-and-mouth Disease (FMD).
The group of 11 medical staffers, summoned by the BMC, reported that at least eight animals (six cows and two buffaloes) have an advanced form of FMD.
Ten others have developed ulcers in their mouth -- a symptom of the first stage of FMD," said Dr RR Kokane.
Other vets, whom Mid Day spoke to, said it was very rare that such a large incidence of the viral infection had gone undetected for so long.
The doctors cautioned that the disease would spread quickly among other animals if immediate measures were not taken to treat the cattle.
Unaffected cattle must be vaccinated with anti-FMD vaccines," said Dr Ashish Sutar.
"Cattle, who have maggots in their legs must be treated with penicillin and potassium permanganate and anti-maggot oil.
Joint executive health officer, BMC, Dr AS Patkar said a medical team would be revisiting the cattle pound over the next two days to vaccinate and treat all animals.
BMC sources said unhygienic conditions at the shelter and lack of food were reasons for the spread of FMD.
Bhavin Gahtani of NGO Karuna Parivar complained that the BMC was neglecting animals at the cattle pound and should hand them over to NGOs for maintenance.
Sources from the state-run animal husbandry department pleaded ignorance about the developments at the cattle pound, but said that if true then the screening of cattle needed to be looked into immediately.
� People could be infected through skin wounds or the oral mucosa by handling diseased stock, the virus in the laboratory, or by drinking infected milk.
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