2nd September, 2012
Farmers in Majen Gobir village, Rimi Local council area of Nigeria’s Katsina state are counting their losses as an outbreak of a cocktail of diseases ravaged their animal stock.
The diseases, suspected to be tuberculosis,respiratory infection and problems, have reportedly killed over 300 sheep and goats in the village in the last one week.
Malam Muhammad Da’u, whose animals were also infected with the diseases, said “as a result of the outbreak, only one of my 22 goats and sheep survived.’’
Another villager, Ibrahim Headmaster, lamented that the epidemic also claimed eight of his sheep.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of people in the village said that the cause of the animal diseases might not be unconnected with the continuous downpour experienced in the area this year.
They, however, commended the Rimi Local Government Council, which they said, had intervened through immediate vaccination of animals, and thus, controlled the diseases.
Alhaji Nasiru Ala, the Caretaker Chairman of the local government, who confirmed the outbreak of the diseases, said the council had commenced special vaccination of animals in the affected village and the entire local government area.
Ala noted that the council had procured drugs worth over N1.4 million for the vaccination, saying the vaccination was to prevent further spread of the diseases. (NAN)