Proactively prevent foot-and-mouth disease in Nghe An

Control the epidemic in a small area

Our province has the strength to develop large-scale livestock farming. Currently, the total herd of buffalo and cows is 760,000, accounting for 10% of the total herd of buffalo and cows in the country. However, the outbreak of diseases has caused difficulties for breeders in particular, affecting the province's livestock industry in general, in which diseaseLMLMhas occurred in many localities in the province, most in mountainous districts where people have the custom of free-range livestock farming.

Assessment by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine shows that during the period from 2016 to 2020, there was an outbreak of disease, but thanks to the synchronous implementation of timely disease prevention and control measures, the disease was controlled on a small scale.

Graphics: Lam Tung

In reality, most cases of disease are due to livestock not being vaccinated against FMD or not being vaccinated promptly and completely, especially for pregnant and young livestock. Household and small-scale livestock farming does not ensure veterinary hygiene and environmental hygiene. Purchased livestock do not have clear origins, avoid local and interdisciplinary control, do not cooperate in disease prevention and hygiene work, do not declare diseases, and buy medicine for treatment.

Buffaloes and cows infected with FMD must be quarantined. Photo: Quang An

The risk of FMD outbreaks can occur and spread widely because there is currently no veterinary system at the commune level, so the implementation of disease prevention and control at the grassroots level faces many difficulties, especially vaccination, slaughter control, sampling, disease epidemiological investigation, implementation of disease prevention solutions....; Free-range farming practices in mountainous districts, household farming, FMD vaccination rate on livestock is still low, only achieving high results in areas receiving vaccine support from the State; The phenomenon of selling and slaughtering sick livestock occurs, causing the spread of pathogens; People are still subjective about disease prevention.

In addition, the direct impact of climate change, the weather changes abnormally in an extreme direction, during the year, the weather changes abnormally, humidity, large temperature difference between day and night... reduces the health of livestock, making them susceptible to pathogens.

Besides, Nghe An province is located on the North-South traffic routes, with a large area, so controlling and limiting epidemics from vehicles transporting animals through the province is difficult.

Prevention is better than cure

By 2025, the livestock industry continues to set the target: Total buffalo herd will stabilize at about 268,000 heads, beef cattle herd will reach 445,000 to 450,000 heads, dairy cow herd will reach 90,000 heads. Gradually restructure livestock farming methods in the direction of gradually shifting from small-scale, dispersed livestock farming to developing concentrated livestock farming on an industrial scale and farms; Livestock farming according to the value chain, effectively exploiting the potential and advantages of regions, developing livestock farming suitable for ecological zones; combining modern livestock farming with traditional livestock farming.
The goal of the provincial Veterinary Department is to proactively and effectively control infectious diseases in livestock herds according to the principle of "Implementing disease prevention as the main measure, timely treatment, urgent epidemic control; quickly and accurately detecting and thoroughly handling animal epidemic outbreaks", contributing to minimizing economic losses caused by epidemics, moving towards repelling and eliminating diseases, including FMD... contributing to promoting stable, sustainable and effective development of livestock farming in the province.

People in Dien Chau district clean livestock barns to prevent the spread of disease. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Dang Van Minh - Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine said that FMD often occurs annually mainly in buffalo and cow herds. Moreover, the disease is often combined with anthrax and pneumonia, causing death in buffalo and cows, especially in calves. Therefore, to proactively prevent and control FMD in buffalo and cow herds, farmers need to pay attention to daily weather forecasts to proactively cover barns to prevent dairy cows and beef cows from getting cold or getting cold from the rain. In winter, when it is very cold, it is necessary to cover barns tightly and change bedding to keep the animals warm. Absolutely do not let animals get wet from rainwater, do not let the barn floor stagnate, especially for barns for calves. Vaccination against FMD is a measure to create active immunity for animals. Every year, farmers need to strictly vaccinate cattle against FMD, absolutely do not be subjective or negligent.

For calves, calves that are 1 month old are vaccinated to create immunity. Each year, 2 vaccinations are given (1st in March, April, 2nd in September, October), additional vaccinations are given immediately to buffaloes and cows that have not been vaccinated due to early or late pregnancy, calves and young calves that have not been vaccinated, and buffaloes and cows that have lost their immunity.

People in Tuong Duong district lock up livestock to prevent FMD. Photo: Quang An

Along with the general environmental sanitation solution, it is necessary to improve the nutrition of livestock by providing better food to increase resistance to help livestock actively fight against invading pathogens. When detecting animals with abnormal symptoms, such as buffaloes and cows not eating, not chewing their cud, drooling a lot and white like soap bubbles in the mouth, ulcers on the hoof, the animal walking with difficulty, immediately notify the local veterinary staff to come and take timely intervention measures. Stop grazing immediately to avoid spreading the disease around.

Typical symptoms of FMD are blisters that develop on the oral mucosa, gums and tongue, nasal rim, toenails, and teats; then the blisters burst, causing mouth ulcers and loose hoofs. The disease can spread through the air over long distances. Livestock will be infected with the virus if they come into direct contact with sick livestock, food, or objects contaminated with the virus, or if they eat or come into contact with diseased meat. In addition, FMD is also spread through the transport of animals, humans, vehicles, etc. contaminated with the virus.