The Animal Husbandry department has launched a preventive foot and mouth vaccination drive in the State, which will be completed by Friday.
Giving details to The Hindu , the department authorities said an elaborate plan was prepared last month and video conferencing was organised in Chennai with district Collectors. The district administration was informed of the need for the campaign. The panchayat presidents on their part managed to bring the cattle to a common place in many parts of the State. A senior officer in the department said the 21-day vaccination drive began on March 1. The department would also hold a mop up drive in which left out cattle would be covered. Till last Friday, a total of 45.15 lakh cattle had been administered the vaccine. Nearly 2,350 veterinary assistant surgeons with the help of 1,400 livestock inspectors, 310 trainee livestock inspectors and 150 B.Vsc interns were pressed into service for the drive. The team so far administered 54.67 lakh dosages of the vaccine.
Another officer said the authorities identified nine districts in the State where they also administered vaccine for Haemorrhagic Septicaemia along with the foot-and-mouth vaccine simultaneously. This was a dangerous bacterial disease, which could cause heavy mortality in the cattle. Only in these nine districts the disease was prevalent, the officer said.
Every day the vaccination drive began at 6 a.m. and continued for the next four hours. Similarly in the evening the drive was conducted between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The department totally procured one crore needles and sent them to the district for vaccination, the officer said.
Chitra Srinivasan, a cattle farm owner in Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district said the officials came to her village nearly 10 days ago with vaccines. This time around the cold storage system was well maintained by the authorities. She said: “With the government launching a preventive vaccination drive now, the cattle owners can hope that the foot-and-mouth epidemic will not spread like last year.”
S. Vaidyanathan, a cattle owner in Madurai said in Andalpuram area near Pazhanganatham, the officials came on March 7. They brought small quantities of vaccines which were administered to the cattle in the surroundings.B. Chandramouli having a cattle farm in Padappai in Kancheepuram district said everyday a team comprising veterinary assistant surgeon, livestock inspector and trainee veterinarians visited every village with a small quantity of vaccination.
