Prevention, control of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle herds

After a period of lull, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle has reappeared recently. This makes the specialized agency as well as the breeder very concerned. If there is no timely preventive measures, the epidemic will easily spread on a large scale, causing serious damage to farmers.

People need to be proactive in preventing and controlling FMD in cattle

Disease reappears

The total cattle herds of the province is currently about 229,000 heads, of which about 124,500 buffaloes, cows and about 104,500 pigs. According to information from the Department of Livestock, Veterinary and Fisheries in Long An province, the weather is changing seasons, affecting the livestock herd negatively and also a favorable condition for the development of pathogens. Recently, in addition to avian influenza and African swine fever, FMD in cattle also reappeared. From mid-October 2020 up to now, in the province, there have been 3 outbreaks of FMD on cow in 2 districts of Tan Tru and Can Duoc. In which, there are 2 outbreaks in communes of Duc Tan and Tan Phuoc Tay, Tan Tru district; 1 outbreak occurred in Long Cang commune, Can Duoc district; The total number of individuals with FMD symptoms was 11 heads, the functional departments destroyed 3 out of 11 heads. Accumulated from the beginning of 2020 up to now, the FMD epidemic on buffaloes and cows has occurred in 9 households in 4 communes in 3 districts of Duc Hue, Tan Tru, Can Duoc, the number of suspected infections is 44 heads and the number destroyed is 6 heads.

Facing the epidemic situation, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development met with localities to carry out activities to prevent and control animal diseases. Thereby, they agreed the content and implemented urgent measures to control the epidemic, especially in the epidemic districts such as Can Duoc, Tan Tru, Chau Thanh, Thu Thua, Ben Luc and Tan Hung. 

According to the director of Can Duoc district Agricultural Service Center - Nguyen Thi Cam Van, following the direction of the functional departments of the province and district, they vaccinated the entire cattle herds in the area of vaccination and sanitation to detoxify herds with a frequency of 2 times per week for 3 consecutive weeks in the epidemic commune. And communes in threatened areas are at risk of transmission, then vaccinate all cattle in the area of vaccination and sanitation to detoxify the entire herd with a weekly rate of 1 time per week for 3 consecutive weeks.

“At the same time, the provincial authorities continue to monitor and treat medical patients. In case that the cattle died abnormally, the functional industry will be destroyed according to regulations. In addition, the functional sector also strengthened disease surveillance; strictly manage cattle transportation, control slaughter to promptly detect and handle diseases quickly and neatly on a narrow scale" - Ms. Van added.

Along with the functional sector, livestock households in the province are also actively implementing measures to care for and protect livestock. Mr. Le Van Thach, living in Phu Ngai Tri commune, Chau Thanh district, shared: “Through the mass media, I know the evolution of FMD epidemic happening in the province, in which Chau Thanh is a in districts that are under great threat from epidemics. Therefore, I proactively perform well the cleaning of breeding facilities, vaccination to prevent and control dangerous infectious diseases in pigs. In addition, I also restrict strangers from going out and entering the breeding area”.

Strictly implementing epidemic prevention and control measures

The Lunar New Year of Buffalo 2021 is coming, so the slaughtering, transporting cattle, poultry and cattle, poultry products increased strongly. Meanwhile, in the province, only a few large-scale pig farms are vaccinated against FMD vaccination, while most small-scale breeders do not. The reason for the households is that when the pigs reach 1 month of age, they will get the first injection. After 21-28 days, the second dose is repeated, the FMD vaccine will work. While the raising time of porker is short, so the livestock households do not vaccinate FMD. Therefore, the risk of dangerous diseases arising and spreading on livestock herds is very high.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh, the Department directed the Provincial Department of Livestock, Veterinary and Fisheries to coordinate with localities to actively propagate to people, especially breeders, people doing slaughtering, transporting animals and animal products about the risk of outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases on livestock herds, especially FMD; manage and guide hatcheries and breeders, traders, transporters and slaughterhouses of animals and animal products to sign commitments not to trade in animals of unknown origin, smuggling and sickness , died; strictly follow the process of quarantine of animals and animal products in accordance with the provisions of law, ensuring epidemic safety, food safety and creating favorable conditions for product circulation; guide livestock households to well implement measures of biosafety breeding, limit strangers from entering and leaving farms and family farms; to well perform the work of cleaning, detoxifying and disinfecting barns and breeding areas; to mobilize breeding households to fully and properly supplement vaccines for livestock herds.

“The Department has instructed the Provincial Department of Livestock Production, hatcheries and Fisheries to assign staff to the grassroots to urge and guide livestock households to implement epidemic prevention and control and promptly grasp and verify the situation. The epidemic is aimed at preventing and preventing FMD epidemic from spreading widely in the province. On the other hand, localities must actively take part, especially the mobilization of the grassroots veterinary force to intensify the inspection and supervision of livestock households, to firmly check the situation of husbandry and epidemics; mobilize mass organizations and people to participate in disease surveillance, slaughter establishments, establishments trading in animals and animal products; strictly implementing the regime of information and reporting, not hiding the epidemic; preparing human resources, materials and funding to proactively respond when an epidemic occurs, urgently stop the epidemic, prevent the epidemic from spreading on a large scale "- Ms. Khanh added.