• Society

People Urged to Bring Cows and Buffalos for Lumpy Skin Disease Vaccination

• By Uth Raksmey
• September 6, 2021 7:45 PM

This disease has been identified in several provinces

PHNOM PENH--Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon on Sept. 4 urged people in the country to bring their cows and buffaloes to get vaccinated for lumpy skin disease on time and not to use any preventive or therapeutic drugs without discussing them with qualified people.

The lumpy skin disease has been spreading among cows and buffaloes in many provinces in Cambodia, and especially in those along the Thai border. To curb the disease, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has launched a free vaccination campaign in the country.

During a vaccination inspection ceremony in Dambaer District in Tboung Khmum Province on Sept. 4, Sakhon told officials in attendance to provide the vaccines and inform people they should have their cows and buffalos vaccinated to prevent the infection from keeping on spreading.

“People…must bring their cows and buffaloes to have them vaccinated in time, consistently and cautiously practice sanitary measures following professional officers’ instructions, and cease both normal and ill animals from eating outside of their territory,” Sakhon said.

“Moreover, the animal owners should not use preventive or therapeutic drugs without discussing with or asking for suggestions from professional officers,” he stressed.

Tan Phanara, director-general of animal health and production at the ministry, said that the Ministry of Agriculture will provide 2,000 doses of vaccines for cows and buffaloes. The vaccine will protect the animals against the disease for two years, he added.

So far, the cow-buffalo lumpy skin disease has affected 3,000 animals, and 70 percent of them have been brought back to health, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Additional reporting by Meng Seavmey