GUJRAT: The unavailability of anti-tetanus vaccine and anti-tetanus serum in the veterinary hospitals has put the lives of precious livestock of farmers at risk.

Farmers having livestock told Dawn that they were finding it difficult to save their animals from tetanus locally known as “chandni” all over Punjab.

Tetanus is a fatal disease of domestic animals and is common in horses, donkeys, cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats.

A senior veterinarian said he had seen such a case in camel on Nov 4 last at Dhok Gujran village near Kharian. He said this was the first time in his 37-year practice that he had found the disease in a camel. The costly (Rs 350,000) camel died of tetanus due to the unavailability of the ATS.

Tetanus, also known as clostridium tetani (bacteria), form spores which are capable of persisting in soil for many years. Bacteria obtain access to the tissue of animal through wound and the animal becomes stiff and cannot move. It causes jaw lock, paralysis of third eyelid, difficult breathing, convulsions and frothing of saliva and death.

Some vets said they would use penicillin 40 lac twice a day after six to eight hours to kill bacteria injected in muscle which was available in all medical stores and hospitals whereas muscle relaxant drugs were also being used as a treatment since these drugs were available.

However, ATS is injected in vein up to 300,000 as potency within 24 hours but it is not available in any veterinary hospital and medical stores. It’s also not being prepared in veterinary research institute of Lahore and Islamabad’s National Health Laboratory. Moreover, the vaccine is injected in healthy animals to prevent them from tetanus which is a common disease of livestock in Gujrat.

“I have seen many cases of tetanus in cows, horses, donkeys, buffaloes, sheep and goats,” said Dr Khurram Shah, a former additional principal veterinary officer.

Another vet said that in the absence of ATS, antibiotic medicine is used to protect the animals.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2020