The Department of Animal Husbandry has begun the vaccination drive to protect animals from foot and mouth disease. According to sources, on March 1, the Department staff vaccinated 750 cows, calves, bulls and buffaloes and on Monday they administered the vaccines to 9,600 animals in Coimbatore district.
The Department would continue the exercise till March 21 to cover the targeted 2,42,775 bovine population. It had been giving the vaccines once in every six months to prevent foot and mouth disease outbreak. The current drive is the eighth.
The last time the district recorded cattle death due to foot and mouth was in November 2013. Four animals succumbed to the disease.
Staff Reporter from Tirupur adds: The Department of Animal Husbandry has commenced the drive across the district to vaccinate 3.4 lakh cows and buffaloes against foot and mouth disease.
Joint Director of Animal Husbandry L. Nagarajan said that 75 teams had been constituted by the department to administer vaccines to the animals at the door steps of the farmers.
Each team comprised one veterinarian, a livestock inspector and an assistant.
The drive would continue till March 21.
