Anti-plague vaccination drive begins in Logar

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock department officials in central Logar province say a campaign to vaccinate 40,000 animals against plague, supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has been launched in the province.

Qari Abdul Basir Shahid, the department’s press officer, told Pajhwok Afghan the vaccine will be administered to small animals in Pul-i-Alam and six other districts over the next month by the department’s veterinarians.

He said the campaign was aimed at protecting animals from plague and providing continuous support to livestock owners, urging locals to cooperate with veterinary staff.

Akhtar Mohammad, a farmer, welcomed the initiative, saying that every year hundreds of animals died in Logar due to the disease.

According to reports, plague was first observed in Africa in 1942 and cases have since appeared in parts of Africa, India, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.

hz/ma