Foot and mouth disease for animals in SV Zoological park is fatal

TIRUPATI: Officials are worried about the deadly foot and mouth disease for animals in SV Zoological park in Tirupati. The deadly disease was observed just few days back and necessary steps have been initiated to protect the rest of animals from this airborne disease.

This disease is a contagious and is an airborne virus. The virus will affect animals for more than eight days, which is the incubation period. The disease may cause deaths in clove-footed animals like spotted deer, nilgai, bison, sambar deer and elephants too.

The disease will make strains on the foot and it will be transmitted to the mouth, after the animal licks its wounded strains. Once the virus attacks the mouth, feeding the animal will become difficult. Most deaths of animals with foot and mouth disease will be due to starvation.

The animal which can resist for eight days, can survive. The disease is prevelant from the month of October to February. The animal husbandry department should vaccinate domestic cattle, which will be the main reason for transmission of the disease. The vaccine should be done in a radius of 8 km from the zoo, which is the buffer zone. If there is an outbreak before vaccination, special methods should be followed.

Speaking to this correspondent, wildlife expert, Dr Naveen said, “There is an outbreak in SV Zoo. I have treated few animals and safety measurements were recommended like sprinkling lime and bleaching powder around the enclosures so that the virus will be killed. Animal keepers should also wash their hands and legs, before they feed the animals. Grazing of infected cattle in forests will also transmit the virus to the wild animals.”

Animal husbandry department had vaccinated animals earlier in the buffer zone. Animal husbandry chief of Tirupati A. Bhavani Shankar said, “We had taken the domestic cattle vaccination programme two times a year. The last vaccination was done in the month of September.”