Spreading Mpox disease worries Bamyan ranchers

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of central Bamyan province are concerned about the breakout of Mpox (formerly monkeypox) disease and have asked the government to take necessary measures to control the infectious disease.

Ali Jan Rezai, the head of Shew Qol area council, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Mpox disease was spreading since few months in some areas of Waras district and had infected animals.

The disease has infected animals in Doona, Takht, Shew Qol, Surkh Joy and Qulba Tu areas, Rezai added.

Nadir, a resident of Panjab district, said the disease was spreading fast and had infected most of animals while some cows had died from the disease in central parts of Panjab district.

According to Nadir, the Mpox breakout has worried ranchers, forcing some to sell their cattle.

He also expressed concern about the disease breakout and said if it was not controlled, the disease could kill more animals.

Mullah Gullabudin Rabdost, the provincial Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation department head, said they had no exact figures of the infected animals and those died from the virus, but they knew the disease recently broke out in Waras, Panjab, Yakaw Lang 1, Yakaw Lang 2 and in the capital of the province.

He said so far no case of the disease in humans had been reported and his department administered 140,000 doses of anti-monkey pox vaccines to animals all over the province besides launching an awareness program.

He urged ranchers to vaccinate their cattle, separate ill animals from healthy ones and avoid using the meat and other products of infected animals.

Health experts say Mpox is a dangerous and transmissible disease and if not controlled, it can spread to humans.

Abdul Sattar, a pet clinic head, said Mpox was a dangerous and transmissible disease, and if necessary measures were not taken, it could spread to humans as well.

Abdul Sattar, animals’ diseases specialist, said swelling, nodes and the flow of saliva from mouth of animals were important symptoms of the disease. “The disease is transmitted to humans through close contact with infected animals.”

He urged people to administer vaccine to their animals, separate infected animals and avoid using milk, meat or other products of such animals and use necessary measures such as gloves and others while in contact with animals.

aw/ma

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