35 thousand cows attacked with LSD in Morrelganj

Bagerhat Correspondent :

LSD (Lumpy Skin Disease), one kind of animal skin infectious diseases has broken out in different animal farms under Morrelganj Upazila in Bagerhat district in an epidemic form. As a result, as many as 135 cows already died and 35 thousand cows were attacked with the disease during the last one month alone, according to a report received here from Dr. Md. Eunus Ali, Officer-in-charge (on temporary basis), Upazila Livestock department, Morrelganj.
According to the report, at this moment as many as 10 thousand anti goat pox doses vaccine are required to combat this fatal disease. But, only 50 doses vaccine was supplied to the office during the last 3 months. The concerned officials disclosed, there is no medicine in Bangladesh for the treatment of this disease. But the department is using anti-goat skin disease medicine for the treatment of cows in order to bring the disease under control. Unfortunately the supply of this medicine is also quite insufficient in the country.
So, it is apprehended that Lumpy skin disease may take turn into an epidemic form very soon in the Upazila. As a result, a great anxiety was created among the owners of cattle heads, farmers and the owners of animal farms. It may be mentioned here that there are as many as 120 animal farms in the Upazila and out of them 35 farms were already affected with this infectious and fatal disease. The concerned department also disclosed, there are as many as 1 (one) lakh 60 thousand cattle heads in the Upazila, situated in the coastal area, adjacent to the mangrove forest Sundarbans and out of them 70 to 80 thousand are cows and about 40 thousand are goats. It is also learnt from the concerned authorities that it is Being tried to save the cows after using “Virax” (anti-goat pox vaccine) accompanied with some other medicines. One Sujan Haldar of village Pallymangol told, I have two cows and they were attacked with the disease. But for want of a vaccine they cannot be given treatment. In this connection Dr. Eunus Ali, Officer in-charge of the Upazila Livestock Office and surgeon further added, this virus (LSD) is spreading by mosquitoes and flies. If any cow comes to the contract with an affected cow they might be attacked with the disease. He added, as there is no medicine for the treatment of this virus skin disease “Viruxs” medicine (for the treatment goat skin disease) is now being used for the treatment of cows. Due to the prevaling extreme hot weather and for want of rains the disease is spreading rapidly.Dr. Eunus Ali also told, about 45 per cent cows (about 35 thousand cows) were already attacked with the virus disease and if a cow is attacked with the disease it should be given treatment within one or two days. Otherwise, it will die. At present 10 thousand doses of goat-pox are required. But unfortunately we got only 50 doses during the last 3 months.
Body of old man recovered
A dead body of an old man was recovered from a fish farm belonging to one Babul Hawladar of Mongla Upazila in Bagerhat district on Sunday noon, according to a report received here. The dead body was identified as one Sohrab Hawladar (75) of village Amratala under the Upazila.
Md. Shamsuddin, Officer-in-charge of Mongla PS told, on the day at noon some local found the dead floating in the fish farm and informed the police of matter. Then a police squad rushed to the spot, recovered the dead body which was already identified by the locals and sent the same to the morgue of Bagerhat Sadar Hospital for autopsy.