December 10, 2013

Cattle deaths in India's Moolimangalam district cause FMD concerns 

Over the past two weeks, cattle deaths in India's Moolimangalam district have become a cause of concern among farmers and Animal Husbandry department officials, with rumours suggesting that the fatalities are linked to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

The deaths have, so far, been ascribed to an unknown disease. Officially, there have been no cattle deaths due to FMD in the district during the past month.

At least a dozen animals had died from the mysterious disease at Moolimagalam, not far from the Cauvery, which many veterinarians point out as a major carrier of the viral disease which threatened bovines in the district during the last three months. The state government had ordered the closure of shandies, including the huge Uppidamangalam shandy, due to animal deaths. Cattle-trading centres have yet to be reopened even after a month.

Since there has been no death of animals due to FMD in the district during the past month, shandies have petitioned officials to reopen the markets and claimed that there is no justification in the continual closure.