Viet Nam News
GIA LAI — The local administration has a problem on its hands as nearly 450 cows in Ia Sao Commune, Ayun Pa Town, in Central Highlands’ Gia Lai Province, have contracted foot-and-mouth disease.
The provincial Animal Health Division said the number of sick cows rapidly increased from 37 cows of a household on July 28 to 449 cows of 72 households currently, the Thanh Niên (Young People) online newspaper reported.
Tests showed that the cows had contracted foot-and-mouth disease virus type A. It was a new strain of the virus and the cows had not been vaccinated against it, the department said.
The virus was blamed for the quick spread of the disease in local cows. The department was also concerned that the disease could spread to the nearby districts of Phú Thiện, Krông Pa and Ia Pa.
Ksor Nhuat, head of the town’s health animal office, said the office had sprayed chemicals to sterilise the area and instructed local breeders to actively prevent the disease from spreading.
Hồ Văn Diện, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of the town, said it had established two teams to work 24 hours at two stations in the commune. The teams were assigned to supervise and warn locals to avoid transporting sick cows in and out of the commune.
Diện said the committee had asked the provincial People’s Committee to provide medicines, chemicals and technical support to bring the situation under control.
In another move, the Agricultural and Rural Development Department of the central province of Quảng Ngãi has provided 2,500 vaccines and 95 litres of Han-Iodine antiseptic chemical in an effort to curb the foot-and-mouth disease in Tịnh Sơn District’s Tịnh Hiệp Commune.
Some 54 of total 72 cows and buffaloes that contracted the disease have recovered.
Previously, the district found that 72 cows and buffaloes of 18 households had contracted the disease on July 25 because they were not vaccinated. — VNS
