Aiming for a drop in infectious diseases

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 31 Dec 2009

At least 24,920 animals were vaccinated against infectious diseases in the Emirate of Ajman in a massive livestock immunisation drive to prevent the spread of various risks, especially diseases that spread to human beings.

The Federal Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has started another round of livestock immunisation, focusing on the animals bred in the Emirate's Masfout region and aimed at bringing down the rate of communicable diseases affecting livestock.

Sultan Abdullah Bin Alwan, Executive Director for Agricultural and Veterinary Affairs at the MOEW, "The vaccine shots will be administered on livestock, sheep, goats, cows and other cattle breeding at farms."

"The range of curative treatments will cover various infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth ailments, lung infections, blood poisoning, intestinal diseases and other contagious infections with purulent skin eruptions," he added.

Bin Alwan pointed out, "Tuberculosis, brucellosis and zoonosis are the major deadly diseases transmitted to human beings from infected animals. The fatal diseases enter to human body by ingestion of meat and non-sterilised milk of the infected animals, or by close contact with secretions of the animals."

"The epidemic of foot-mouth-disease (FMD) has emerged due to a fast-spreading virus that infects cloven-hoofed animals including cows, sheep, goats and deer," he said.

Sumayya Abdul Rahim al Rais, Director of Animal and Plants Health Department at the MOEW, said, "As per the campaign, an animal will be administered shots of vaccines 10 times during the year for protection from further infection occurrences. Providing minerals, vitamins and medicinal supplements is also included in the service.