ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

Water buffalo with young calves feeding in rice paddies in Kungyangon townships in Rangoon Division. (Photo: Tint Lwin / The Irrawaddy)

By SAW YAN NAING | An outbreak of animal foot-and-mouth disease is spreading in townships affected by Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy delta and in Rangoon and Pegu divisions, according to sources in Rangoon.

There was no estimate of the number of affected animals or when the outbreak first occurred. The disease typically occurs among some animals during this time of the year.

Because of the large numbers of farm animals killed during the cyclone, more animal deaths in the area could mean additional woe for farmers who are struggling to rebuild their lives.

A veterinarian in Rangoon said foot-and-mouth disease can strike cows, buffalos, sheep, pigs and goats. The viral disease can spread among animals and can be fatal if untreated. The disease seldom affects humans, although humans who come in contact with the virus can pass it on to animals.

Cases of the disease have been reported in Kawhmu and Kungyangon townships in Rangoon Division; Kawa Township in Pegu Division; and the cities of Laputta, Dedaye, Pyapon, Kyonmangay, Wakema and Kyaiklat in the Irrawaddy delta, according to the Rangoon-based journal, Bi-Weekly Eleven and other sources.

Aung Gyi, the director of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department’s Animal Health and Development Division, told the Rangoon-based Popular Journal in mid-June that cows and buffalos often suffer from the disease during the rainy season from June to October.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the cyclone killed an estimated 200,000 farm animals, 120,000 of which were used by farmers to plow fields.