Daijiworld Media Network - Kolar (SP)
Kolar, Sep 6: On receiving complaints that a large number of cows inside the farm of MLA, Varhur Prakash, have contracted Brucellosis, a highly contagious disease, staff of animal husbandry department were dispatched to the farm to conduct a health check of the animals there.
40 persons including officials, veterinary officers and staff went to 'Rakshit Farm' near Janganahalli in the taluk and collected their blood samples. Speaking to media persons thereafter, deputy director of animal husbandry, Dr Channakeshavaiah, said that in addition to 232 cattle which yield milk now, 632 calves are also on the farm. Blood samples of all the animals have been collected and sent to the laboratory at Hebbal here. He expects the reports to be available by Tuesday.
He added that if the suspicion about the disease is confirmed, the animals will be put to death through euthanasia and buried. "We have information that these cows were bought from Baramati in Maharashtra, and that some of the cows infected with the disease were sold in the past," he added. He said that in view of the presence of this disease, vaccination has been conducted in nearby villages as a precautionary measure. The department is arranging to check the health of all these cattle and the vaccinated animals will not contract this disease, he confirmed, adding that when the cows which are not vaccinated get this disease, they will not survive.
It is learnt that people who consume milk of the sick animals or other products prepared out of it will also run the risk of getting this disease.
Animal husbandry minsiter, A Manju, said that the presence of Brucellosis has been confirmed among 48 out of 998 cattle on Varthur Prakash's farm and that instructions have been issued to put them through euthanasia. Deputy manager of Kolar Chikkaballapur District Milk Producers Union has requested the people not to buy milk from Rakshit Farm as some of the cattle there are found to be suffering from Brucellosis. He said that if the farmers wish, arrangements will be made by the Milk Union to supply pasteurized milk to them for their domestic use.