Veterinarians in Stung Treng province vaccinated 7,794 cattle against foot and mouth disease (FMD) from March 23 to May 30, according to the animal health and production bureau under the provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Bureau chief Sieng Meng Horng said on May 30 that of the 7,794 cattle, 1,840 were in Siem Pang district; 4,733 in Sesan; 364 in Thala Barivat; 355 in Borei O’Svay Sen Chey; and 502 in Stung Treng town.
“The disease does not present a problem, but department officials and town and district authorities are monitoring the situation closely,” he said.
Dy Vichet, chief of the Siem Pang Agriculture Office, said that after the heavy March rainfall, officials and village veterinarians educated the public about FMD and informed them that they should vaccinate their cattle.
Most of the cattle in the district were consequently injected with the vaccine, so only a few had died from the disease by May 30, he added.
Some villagers asked for the vaccines so they could inject their cattle by themselves, while others had not often because their cattle were released in the forest unattended.
“Besides FMD, there are no other diseases that cause us concern. This disease makes the abdomen of the cattle to swell and we are seeing some cases. There are no cases of lumpy skin disease at the moment, however,” he added.
In a separate case in Svay Rieng province, Bavet town governor Lim Seang Heng said at least 10 cattle had died from FMD. After becoming aware of the issue, veterinarians had begun vaccinating livestock.
A total of 38 cattle had contracted the disease in the town, including 23 in Bavet commune, of whom seven had died. The other 15 were from Prasat commune and three had died, he said.
“Bavet authorities have prepared vaccines for 1,500 more cattle, so people who have not vaccinated their animals yet should contact the authorities and make sure they take care of it,” he said.
Pen Chanthy, head of the Production and Veterinary Bureau in Svay Rieng, said on May 30 that 16 cattle were found to be carrying the disease in Chantrea district’s Samrong commune and were being treated.
Some cattle had already been vaccinated. Officials had distributed disinfectants to the public and were tracing all cases of the illness, he said.
“We shared information about the disease with the villagers and gave them disinfectant so they can spray their own homes,” he added.
