Viral disease spreading among cattle in Kilinochchi

Cattle farmers in Kilinochchi say that more than 30 cattle have died in the last few days due to a viral disease spreading among the cattle in the Kilinochchi District.

The farmers point out that initially, lumps began to appear on the skin of the cattle, and then continue to spread all over the animals’ bodies and then they burst and cause wounds, causing the deaths of some cattle.

The cattle farmers claim that over 300 cattle have been afflicted by the disease across the Kilinochchi District.

Meanwhile, milking the cows has also been halted temporarily in several areas including Karachchi, Kalmudai, Periyamadu and Ramanadapuram, owing to the situation.

However, the veterinary officers have mentioned to the farmers that Cowpox disease is gradually spreading within the district.

Furthermore, farmers allege that insufficient stocks of medicine required to treat the disease within veterinary offices have resulted in the situation escalating.

The dairy farmers also stressed that a large number of cows died in the Kilinochchi district due to the extremely cold weather condition that occurred last season, and yet the government has not taken steps to pay any compensation as promised.