PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa livestock and dairy development department has launched a preventive campaign against Congo virus in Hazara division.

There’re reports of growing Congo incidents in other provinces.

A statement issued here said that to control diseases, the department had dispatched teams to Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur districts, where they carried out preventive spray against ticks.

It quoted district director (livestock) Battagram Dr. Abdul Waheed Alvi as saying that cattle farm owners and other stakeholders were educated about the deadly virus and precautionary measures against it.

He said 12 people had died of Congo virus in Balochistan, five in Sindh, and two in Punjab province.

The director appreciated the cooperation of farm owners in Hazara division against Congo virus and said such cooperation helped save hundreds of animals on time.

He said precautionary spray campaign would continue until Eidul Azha.

Dr Alvi said slaughterhouses were also targeted during the campaign with butchers being made aware of the virus, and how to spray animals.

He said such measures were being taken in Alaai, a remote tehsil of Battagram district.

“Livestock teams are spraying animals and their places, while farm owners and traders were being requested to cooperate with livestock department in this respect.

In Mansehra, the livestock department had initiated precautionary measures against Congo virus in the district.

“We have been holding awareness sessions and anti-tick spray everywhere in the district to curb possible outbreak of Congo,” district officer of the livestock department Dr Rafique Mughal told reporters on Sunday.

He said during the ongoing anti-Congo virus campaign, which was launched by the middle of August over 5,000 sheep but animals were spared with anti-tick medicines.

“We have been holding awareness sessions for farmers and, butchers and slaughterhouse workers in Mansehra, Shinkiari, Balakot, Pulrah and Oghi and have so far achieved good results,” he said.

Dr Mughal said no case of Congo had been reported in the district yet and that the anti-Congo virus campaign would continue until Eidul Azha.

He said the anti-tick chemicals were being sprayed at animal farmhouses across the district to prevent the spread of Congo virus.

The official said as the migration of nomads with goats and sheep was start in the last week of September, the people should adopt precautionary measures against Congo virus until Eidul Azha.

In Abbottabad, too, the livestock and dairy development department launched a campaign against Congo virus.

Battagram livestock district director Dr. Abdul Waheed Alvi said the department had dispatched teams to Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur districts for preventive spray against ticks.

He said cattle farm owners and other stakeholders had been educated about the deadly virus and the precautionary measures against it.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2016