Livestock and poultry die in large numbers in poor border commune.

(Baonghean.vn) - A large number of buffaloes and cows have died in a short period due to hemorrhagic septicemia, devastating Bac Ly border commune (Ky Son district, Nghe An province). In addition, hundreds of pigs and chickens have also died from this disease.

"Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners."

Phia Kham 2 village, Bac Ly commune (Ky Son district), where an outbreak of hemorrhagic septicemia is occurring in livestock. Photo: Ho Phuong.

According to an investigation by a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper, in Phia Kham 2 village, Bac Ly commune (Ky Son district), as of the afternoon of February 2nd, 2017, five buffaloes and cows had died. Mr. Luong Van Thu, a resident of the village, stated that his family had only lost one cow. Four days prior, Mr. Thu discovered one of the cows in the village's grazing area was sick and foaming at the mouth. He then sought treatment from the village veterinarian, but it was too late. The cow died shortly afterward. The family butchered the dead cow and distributed the meat to several households in the village.

Also in Phia Kham 2 village, Mr. Luong Van Thanh's family lost one buffalo and one cow out of a total herd of eight. In the same village, Mr. Cut Pho Nhi's family also lost two cows. Mr. Thanh said that the commune's veterinary service had previously organized vaccinations, but his buffaloes and cows still contracted the disease.

Many pig and cattle pens in Phia Kham 2 village are empty due to disease outbreaks. Photo by Huu Vi.

Locals say that the cattle started falling ill after the Lunar New Year. However, the people here don't know what disease the cattle have. They still slaughter and eat the meat of the dead cattle as usual. Some families even dry the meat in the attic above their kitchens.

Also in Phia Kham 2 village, according to residents, the pigs in the village had started to fall ill and die in large numbers since before the Lunar New Year of the Rooster. Mr. Hung Van Khanh, Head of the Front Committee of Phia Kham 2 village, said: "Two-thirds of the pigs in the village have died. My family alone lost 25 pigs."

Local authorities in Bac Ly commune have requested that cattle belonging to residents be brought back from grazing areas for monitoring of disease outbreaks. Photo: Huu Vi.

Mr. Hung also added that he had previously borrowed money from the bank to buy pigs for free-range farming to develop his family's economy. However, the disease outbreak left his family almost penniless. Besides pigs and cattle, the village of Phia Kham 2 is almost silent today, with not a single rooster crowing left.

Investigations in Phia Kham 1 village, bordering Phia Kham 2, revealed that seven buffaloes and cows had died. Mass deaths of pigs and chickens also occurred in the area.

Information from the People's Committee of Bac Ly commune (Ky Son district): Currently, an outbreak of hemorrhagic septicemia has occurred in three villages of the commune: Phia Kham 1, Phia Kham 2, and Huoi Cang 1, resulting in the death of dozens of buffaloes and cows. The disease is also causing deaths of chickens and pigs in five villages: Phia Kham 1, Phia Kham 2, Huoi Cang 1, Huoi Cang 2, and Buoc village. All livestock and poultry in the commune are infected with hemorrhagic septicemia.

The herd of over 10 pigs belonging to Mr. Luong Van Thu's family has now dwindled to just 3 weak and sickly pigs in their pen. Photo by Ho Phuong.

Local residents say that this transitional period between seasons creates favorable conditions for disease outbreaks and spread. The commune's veterinary services have been involved in disease prevention, but they cannot completely eradicate the problem. Mr. Cụt Văn May, Vice Chairman of the Bắc Lý Commune People's Committee, said that to prevent disease, before the Lunar New Year, the commune government organized vaccination campaigns for livestock, mainly buffalo and cattle. However, not many people brought their buffalo and cattle for vaccination. The reasons are partly because most buffalo and cattle roam freely in the forest, and partly because many people consider vaccination "unimportant" and therefore don't pay attention to it.

"The commune has reported the situation to the district veterinary office to request a solution to prevent the disease from spreading among the livestock and poultry throughout the commune," Mr. Cut Van May added.

Huu Vi - Ho Phuong