The government has stepped up efforts to prevent and control the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) following an outbreak reported from Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kottayam districts.
Minister for Animal Husbandry K. Raju said an expert team had examined livestock and collected samples from the affected areas in Alappuzha.
He said steps had been taken to provide booster vaccines and other courses of treatment with the help of dairy cooperatives.
The preliminary inference is that the disease had originated from cows that were brought into the State without being immunised.
No need for panic
An official press note issued here has said that dairy farmers had no reason to be concerned as the disease outbreak was contained to a small area.
The department has set up a 24x7 control room to coordinate the prevention and control operations.
The government has also issued a ban on cattle fairs in the light of the disease outbreak.
