4
Mass vaccination.—The mass vaccination campaign against Rinderpest
has played a great part in keeping down the rate of mortality from this
disease. These operations were undertaken jointly by the Emergency and
Mass Inoculation Staff, as the latter staff has not yet been fully manned on
account of want of personnel. In the year under review inoculations were
undertaken along all important cattle routes arising from Bihar, Orissa and
East Pakistan, and in many important cattle marts within the province.
Not only the cattle along these routes were inoculated but immune belts on
both sides of these routes were created to prevent spread of the disease
from the routes into the interior. Besides, the Mass Inoculation Staff
worked in places which are perpetual foci of the disease. By all these
operations outbreaks of Rinderpest, wherever it broke out, could not infect
the cattle of the entire villages and by the prompt mobilisation of the
District Inoculating Staff spread of the diasease was quickly and effectively
checked. In the mass inoculation operations 431,331 head of cattle were
immunised against Rinderpest with Goat Tissue Vaccine. Six hundred and
seventy-four villages were attended besides regular attendance to important
cattle routes and marts. Against emergency they had to attend 42 out-
breaks of Rinderpest, 15 of Hemorrhagic Septicæmia, 3 of Foot and
Mouth Disease in the districts of Nadia, Midnapore, 24-Parganas, Howrah,
Bankura, Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Darjeeling. In these
operations 11,582 head of cattle were immunised against Rinderpest with
Goat Tissue Vaccine and Anti-Rinderpest Serum, 1,202 head of cattle were
immunised against Hemorrhagic Septicæmia with Hæmorrhagic Septicæ-
mia Vaccine, and 113 head of cattle with Anti-Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia
Serum. In the year under report the outbreaks of Hemorrhagic Septicæmia
and Rinderpest in Contai subdivision of Midnapore and in the district of
Bankura were the severest. In these operations the joint Emergency and
Mass Inoculation Staff helped the local Veterinary Assistant Surgeons who
successfully coped with the diseases.
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia.—This disease prevailed in sporadic form
throughout the province and was responsible for the death of 230 head of
cattle in 35 outbreaks. In the prophylactic action that was undertaken
1,695 and 9,627 head of cattle were protected with Hemorrhagic Septi-
cemia Serum and Vaccine, respectively.
Anthrax.—The districts of 24-Parganas, Midnapore and West Dinajpur
had suffered from this pestilence. The total loss of animals amounted
to 98 in 5 outbreaks. Prophylactic measures were adopted with Anti-
Anthrax Serum and Vaccine and 3,581 and 297 animals were protected with
them respectively.
Blackquarter.—In all there have been 12 outbreaks of this disease
during the year under report. The total number of deaths from this disease
was 48, and 469 animals were protected with serum alone and 1,40<S
animals with vaccine.
Foot and Mouth Disease.—This disease made its appearance in several
districts of this province causing 180 deaths in 271 outbreaks.
Ovine and Caprine Disease.—Forty-one goats and 11 sheep succumbed
to Sheep Pox and pleuro-pneumonia and 49 goats and 10 sheep to contagious
parasitic and other diseases. The total deaths were 111.
Rabies.—Twenty-eight cases of attacks and deaths were reported from
different parts of the province.
Besides the above a special form of parasitic disease broke out among
cattle in the district of Malda. The disease was ultimately investigated
as due to Amphistoma Conicum infection. The total number affected by
the disease was 135 out of which 40 animals died. The rest were success-
fully treated medically with liquid extract of male fern and other medicines.
Excepting the above no other diseases of livestock were reported.