Thailand brings haemorrhagic septicemia in cattle under control

BANGKOK, November 11 (TNA) - Thailand, through the Department of Livestock Development, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has successfully contained recent outbreaks of haemorrhagic septicemia in cattle. Ayut Harintranon, the department's deputy director general, who is now also the department's acting director general, confirmed on Tuesday that spreading of the deadly bacteria-borne disease among local cattle, especially buffaloes, over the past week has already been brought under control. Earlier, Ayut acknowledged, over 100 baffaloes in many Thai provinces, including Suphan Buri in the central region, Kalasin in the Northeast, Chiang Rai in the Upper North, as well as Uthai Thani and Nakhon Sawan in the Lower North, died from the disease, caused by pasteurella multocida bacteria, while several others were sick. Ayut cautioned, however, that Thai cattle have not yet been 100 per cent safe from the disease, as a renewed outbreak is possible due to movements of cattle. In a decisive act, the senior official said, he has, therefore, ordered a suspension of cattle movements by all means nationwide for the time being, particularly those of buffaloes, and sought cooperation from local agriculturists not to bring raw cattle meat into their farms or houses to prevent a feared outbrak of the deadly disease. The senior official told journalists that livestock officials across the country have also been assigned to speed up vaccinating cattle in their respective areas against haemorrhagic septicemia, free of charges, so that local cattle are safe from the disease 14 days after the vaccination. The livestock authority also asked locals to immediately inform livestock offcials in their areas if they find or come across any suspicious case of the disease. The livestock authority insisted, however, that well-cooked meat is safe for consumption and haemorrhagic septicemia does not transmit from cattle to humans. According to the livestock authority, stressed cattle from hard work, weather or seasonal changes or movements to new locations may fall ill and contract haemorrhagic septicemia with swelling necks and faces and laboured breathing and, in the worst case, they become dead. Thailand's previous outbreaks of haemorrhagic septicemia were reported 4-5 years ago, killing thousands of local cattle in affected areas. (TNA)