- The Union Cabinet has cleared a new initiative to control Foot and Mouth Disease(FMD) and Brucellosis to support the livestock rearing farmers.
- The entire cost of the scheme is to be borne out by the Central Government.The scheme includes vaccination coverage to 30 crore bovines, 20 crore sheep or goat, and 10 million pigs.
- Further,the Brucellosis control programme will be extended to cover 100% vaccination coverage of 3.6 crore female calves.
- Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious and viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids.The virus causes a high fever for two or three days followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
- Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the bacterial genus Brucella.The bacteria are transmitted from animals to humans by ingestion through infected food products,direct contact with an infected animal or inhalation of aerosols.It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever.
- These diseases are very common amongst the livestock – cow-bulls, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs.If a cow/buffalo gets infected with FMD, the milk loss is upto 100% which could last for four to six months.
- Further,in case of Brucellosis the milk output reduces by 30%, during the entire life cycle of animal.Brucellosis also causes infertility amongst the animals. The infection of brucellosis can also be transmitted to the farm workers and livestock owners.
Union Cabinet clears new initiative to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis to support the livestock rearing farmers
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