Andhra Pradesh: Vaccination of animals to control anthrax spread

13,500 more doses of vaccination on the way from Bengaluru.

SRIKAKULAM: Tension prevailed in the district and people of Jalumuru, Saravakota and surrounding mandals are in the grip of fear after anthrax was detected in sheep at Karakavalasa village of Jalumuru mandal. Veterinary officials started conducting special vaccination drive and examinations in surrounding villages of Krakavalasa.

After the death of many sheep at Karakavalasa village very recently, veterinary officials collected blood samples from the suspected animals and sent the same to the veterinary biological research institution in Hyderabad for tests. As suspected by the veterinary officials, researchers confirmed anthrax in the blood samples.  

To arrest the spread of the disease, veterinary officials, following directions from District Collector K Dhananjaya Reddy, started administering the vaccination to the cattle at Karakavalasa, Anupuram and other nearby villages. Since they brought 3,000 doses of vaccination from Visakhapatnam, they started the drive in war-footing mode. They also wrote to the higher-ups seeking more doses from Bengaluru with immediate effect.

With the suspicious death of sheep two days ago, microscopic blood examination was conducted on the spot and found the presence of anthrax organism in the blood serum, said Dr M Venkateswara Rao, the Srikakulam Animal Husbandry joint director. The samples were later sent to veterinary biological research institute in Hyderabad for confirmation. After confirmation, we started administering vaccination to all domestic animals in and around the village. 

“Although we brought 3,000 doses of anthrax vaccination from Visakhapatnam, a load of 13,500 more doses of vaccination are on the way to Srikakulam from Bengaluru,” he added. “To check its prevalence, we would administer vaccination to the animals in 3-km radius from the prime point,” said Venkateswara Rao. The sprinkling of formaldehyde was also conducted in the sheds.

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