Port Blair, July 14:Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and infectious disease of cloven hoofed animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and pigs etc., Clinical & Visible signs includes high fever (104-106) degree Fahrenheit), loss of appetite and dullness, excessive salivation, vesicles in the mouth especially in the gums and tongue that result in ulcers, ulcers and wound in the hoof in the inter-digital space, blisters on teats, etc. FMD leads to reduction in milk-yield, decreased growth rate, infertility, etc.
It is mainly transmitted by excretions and secretions from infected animals and mechanically by the movement of animals, persons, vehicles and other things which have been contaminated by the virus. Though the territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is relatively free from major infectious and contagious disease of Livestock, there had been two outbreaks of FMD in South Andaman i.e. in 2005 and in 2018. There is no treatment for the disease and control is only through vaccination.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India, implements the Centrally Sector Scheme, Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LH&DCP) under which mass vaccination of cattle and buffaloes conducted in every six months in a year in order to control the disease in the country. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, A&N Islands has been conducting vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease since 2005 onwards. The 29th round of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccination among cattle and buffaloes of South Andaman was carried out during the month of June 2024. A total of 10 vaccination team were formed comprising of Senior Veterinary Officers as Team Leader and Vaccinators and Helpers.
The vaccination teams have to identify the animals by ear tagging and the details of the animals and its owner were uploaded in the Bharat Pashudhan Portal. The vaccination programme was concluded on 4th July, 2024 and it was successful in vaccinating 8116 no. of animals and 1591 no. of buffaloes and cattle were newly tagged. During the vaccination programme, pre-vaccination serums were collected which will be tested for sero-monitoring.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, A&N Islands is continuing its efforts to keep this Territory free from Foot and Mouth Disease.
