Shepherds in distress as mysterious disease snuffs life out of sheep

Shepherds in distress as mysterious disease snuffs life out of sheep
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Panic has gripped livestock farmers in Kalvasrirampur mandal of Peddapalli district following the mysterious deaths of their sheep in the last few weeks.

​Peddapalli: Panic has gripped livestock farmers in Kalvasrirampur mandal of Peddapalli district following the mysterious deaths of their sheep in the last few weeks.

The exact figure is not available but it was estimated that more than 50 sheep have died of a mysterious disease in last month in the district.

Most of these sheep belong to Motlapalli village of Kalvasrirampur mandal – eight sheep of Pogula Rajaiah, 12 sheep of Katla Narsaiah, 18 sheep of Akula Sammaiah, nine sheep of Katla Chandraiah, six sheep of Dommati Mallaiah and four sheep of Raimallu.

The sheep first show symptoms of water diarrhoea and after that they didn’t eat fodder for two to three days. Later they will die with blood vomiting and motions.

The animal husbandry officials have been blaming the farmers that they are not vaccinating their animals twice in a year as a precautionary measure.

But the livestock farmers lamented that they have to shed thousands of rupees daily to buy medicines from private medical shops for their sheep due to non-availability of medicines at government veterinary hospital. They demanded that the government must supply medicines free.

After examining the sheep of Katla Narsaiah, the health official of Veterinary hospital, Dr Naresh stated that the sheep have died after drinking polluted water from a nearby lake. But Narsaiah argued that many sheep have died even after they were prevented from drinking polluted water in that lake.

A sheep farmer, Akula Sammaiah said, ‘When some of my sheep fell sick, I took them to a veterinary hospital at Kalavasrirampur and i purchased medicines at private medical shops due to non-availability of medicines for the mysterious disease. Even then many of my sheep died.’ He requested the government to help them as they lost their livelihood.

Another farmer Dommati Sammaiah lamented that they are immediately taking their sheep to Srirampur veterinary hospital but of no use as there are no proper medical facilities. ‘It would be better if health officials conduct a medical camp here in our village. Otherwise many of us, who depend on our livestock, have to face huge loss,’ he added.

The farmers also demanded the government organise cattle vaccination programmes in the surrounding villages to prevent the outbreak of the disease further.

By: Puli Sharath Kumar

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