Staff Reporter
ANINI, 19 Sep: The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Dibang Valley district is reportedly going from bad to worse.
Sources in Anini informed that so far, mithuns' death toll in Dri valley is estimated to be more than 600, and that over 1,500 animals are reportedly infected by the contagious virus. It is learnt that hundreds of animals are feared dead or missing in the jungles.
The FMD case first reportedly appeared in Achesoin the remote Dri valley circle in early June, and it has now spread across large parts of the upper valley, killing hundreds of mithuns and leaving thousands infected.
The villagers say the outbreak is still expanding and official veterinary support remains inadequate.
In the first week of August, FMD cases were reported in Mathu valley also, and it gradually spread across the entire circle.
"It is estimated that more than 1,000 cases have been reported in Mathu valley alone. At least 40 mithuns have already died there, with the count still rising," said Apeda Rondo, who lost several mithuns to the contagious virus.
More than 100 semi-domesticated cloven-hoofed bovine have been described as critical or severely infected. The villagers say they are struggling to contain the outbreak.
"There is little space to isolate sick animals; fodder collection has become difficult, and repeated catch-and-release of roaming mithuns is believed to be the reason behind further spread of the virus," Rondo said.
It is learnt that fatalities continue because essential medicines, injections and veterinary kits are not available in the district or neighbouring areas. The supplies have to be ordered from Tinsukia in Assam or from Itanagar, causing long delays.
"Due to an acute shortage of veterinary staff, local people have been forced to administer injections themselves without proper training," said a resident.
Despite repeated appeals from the villagers, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has so far carried out no organised awareness campaign or medicine supply drives, nor sent any field teams, the resident alleged.
This daily could not verify the claim with the district veterinary officer.
It is learnt that at present the outbreak is still concentrated in the upper reaches of Dibang Valley, but fresh cases are also being reported daily in the lower regions as well.
The epidemic has inflicted heavy economic losses on mithun-rearing households and created extra labour and financial burdens at a time when families can least afford them.
The villagers have appealed for immediate deployment of veterinary teams, emergency medicine stocks and a systematic vaccination and containment drive before the disease reaches the rest of the district.
Dibang Valley is considered to be the worst-hit FMD district in Arunachal Pradesh.
A team of central experts, state veterinary officials and district administrators had on 8 August launched an intensive containment drive after an FMD outbreak hit livestock in Dibang Valley district.
However, it failed to contain the outbreak.