Myanmar acting on outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Cyclone hit Areas*

2008-06-28

    YANGON, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Livestock Breeding and
Veterinary Department (LBVD) Saturday called on farmers to take
preventive measures against outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in
draught cattle.

    The appeal came after foot-and-mouth disease has been found in
buffaloes and cows recently in Myanmar's cyclone-hit areas.

    The disease has hit buffaloes and cows used in recultivation of
agricultural fields in four storm-hit townships, namely, Laputta,
Kyonmange, Wakema and Kawmu in Ayeyawaddy delta and Yangon division.

    The foot-and-mouth virus can spread to other less-resistant animals
in distant areas through air in the early wet monsoon season, the months
of June and July, when the weather has just changed from the dry and hot
to wet, state-run The Myanmar Alin newspaper quoted the LBVD's report as
saying. Buffaloes and cows can also be infected from sheep, goat and pig.

    The LBVD urged farmers not to tend their buffaloes and cows in the
pasture for fearing of infection if such disease occurred in their
surrounding areas.

    The already-infected cattle must be separated from other cattle and
rendered treatment, it stressed.

    The LBVD also urged the farmers to inform the respective regional
authorities, livestock breeding and veterinary department as soon as the
disease was found, and cooperate in rapid response to control the disease.

    The animal-borne-disease was said to have been caused by sustained
touching of cattle's foot with sea water, especially buffaloes which
were inflicted the heaviest blow by the storm.

    So far, no cattle has been reported to have died of the disease.

    According to official statistics, during the cyclone storm, more
than 200,000 heads of cattle including buffalo, cow, sheep and pig, and
over 2.27 million livestock including chicken and ducks were killed in
the two divisions.

    Deadly cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit
five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon andKayin on
May 2-3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest
casualties and massive infrastructure damage.

    The storm has killed 84,537 people and left 53,836 missing and
19,359 injured according to the latest official statistics.