FMD Outbreak Strikes Virk Village
The veterinary department has significantly increased surveillance in Virk village following a serious outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease that has resulted in the deaths of four calves and infected approximately twelve other cattle within the last ten days. Officials confirm the situation is now contained, but this incident has revealed significant shortcomings in vaccination adherence among livestock owners.
Farmer Losses and Disease Spread
According to official veterinary records, farmer Sandeep Singh, son of Surjit Singh, experienced the most substantial losses. Since November 20, two of his calves have died, while five adult animals and seven calves have contracted the infection. The two calves that succumbed to the disease were aged between three and four months.
Another local farmer, Harnek Singh, also lost two calves and discovered ten of his animals were infected with FMD. Surjit Singh reported that milk production from his remaining healthy animals has completely stopped, with seven or eight cattle still undergoing medical treatment.
Harnek Singh believes the infection reached his farm when he went to collect Surjit Singh's deceased animal, suggesting this contact initiated the spread to his livestock.
Vaccination Failures and Official Response
Local sources indicate that before November 20, additional animal deaths might have occurred because the affected farmer initially sought treatment from a private veterinarian rather than reporting the situation to authorities. After more animals became ill, he notified an official at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Gadvasu), which promptly dispatched a team to gather blood and saliva samples from infected animals for laboratory testing.
Dr. Baljit Singh, the veterinary officer of Swaddi Kalan, confirmed four confirmed deaths but acknowledged that earlier fatalities couldn't be ruled out. The officer revealed that Sandeep Singh had refused vaccination for his cattle, which significantly contributed to the outbreak's severity.
Regarding Harnek Singh's case, Dr. Singh explained that his calves had received vaccination only five to seven days before the outbreak. Since vaccines require time to develop protective antibody levels, the animals remained vulnerable during this initial period.
Containment Measures and Future Prevention
To control further disease transmission, the veterinary department collaborated with the village sarpanch to issue emergency alerts through loudspeaker announcements at the local gurdwara. Dr. Baljit Singh confirmed that department teams have vaccinated approximately 3,000 animals in the affected area as part of containment efforts.
The officer detailed that routine vaccination drives occur twice annually—once in April and again during November-December—to maintain adequate immunity levels among livestock populations. He assured residents that the outbreak was contained through prompt intervention and that department personnel continue to monitor the situation closely.
"If necessary, we will deploy another team to the village," Dr. Singh stated, emphasizing that bio-security measures remain crucial for preventing future outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease.
Bio-security Advisory for Farmers
The veterinary department emphasizes that bio-security represents the most effective method for protecting animals from FMD infection.
Essential Guidelines for Livestock Owners
Recommended Actions:
- Isolate affected animals immediately
- Regularly disinfect housing, equipment, and vehicles
- Restrict access to people and vehicles
- Quarantine new or returning animals for 2-3 weeks
Avoid These Practices:
- Do not move sick animals to other farms
- Do not purchase animals from infected areas
- Do not feed infected milk to calves
