14
Camel-surra is known by the following expressions in Sind in various
localities :—
Upper Sind
Central Sind, right hank
Delta and Karachi
Various localities
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...
...
...
Sar gya.
Kinree (not kamri)
Machhar.
Sar, sarral.
Generally, when complicated by lung-disease:—Mosh.
29. Jacobabad and Shikarpur Talukas. —This, comparatively speaking,
is not an important camel-breeding country. Many camels from Baluchistan
work here in the cold weather, but they return to their homes very early in
the hot weather. The local camels occasionally get surra, but on the whole,
probably, owing to the rainlessness and somewhat scattered distribution of
camels in the hot weather, it does not seem to be widespread, even in the
country watered by the Wahs. But an abnormal rainfall might produce a
different state of affairs, as it did in Dera Ghazi Khan in 1909. It is
significant that nearly all the local camel-men I met in Jacobahad knew of
surra, but they do not seem to have had any serious visitations of it lately.
Purchasing officers sometimes find cases of surra at Jacobabad, but that does
not incriminate the district; and the case of Horse-Surra found at Jacobabad
in 1909 was infected near the Dera Ghazi Khan border.
30. Larkhana district.—Very similar remarks apply to the north-
eastern part of Larkhana district, but I think the disease would soon make
itself evident there if the hot weather camel-population were larger Horse-
surra occurred at Kambar in 1910 where flooding occurred from the Wah
Naurung.
In the southern part of the district, talukas Dadu and Johi appeared
to be healthy country for camels; one case of Camel-Surra was found, however,
at Shah Hussan on the Manchur lake, where "dhang" are said to be
plentiful.
Camelmen living near the river in Sehwan taluka find it necessary
to migrate towards the Kohistan for the surra season to avoid the disease;
Sehwan and its Bela are undoubted Surra-zones.
31. Taluhas Manjhand and Kotri.—-Along the "Bela" in these
talukas I met with cases of Camel-Surra traceable to Gote Lakha, Budapur,
Unarpur and Manjhu; whilst heavy mortality was reported to me at Bheeon
and Wachera. The Civil Veterinary Department, Sind, has reported surra
in horses and camels along this Bela also.
One case was found in a breeding-herd at Behrani, south of Kotri,
though I do not think that the herd contained many cases.
Herds which graze in the Bela in the cold weather are generally taken
out into the desert on the west during the flood-season. I think one may
safely regard the whole of the Bela between Laki and Kotri as a bad
surra-zone.
32. Taluka Karachi.—There is not much breeding done in the
vicinity of Karachi, although large numbers of working male camels are kept.
Consequently large numbers of camels, Sindhi and Mekrani, are purchased
into the talukas; and surra is purchased with them. Most camelmen agree
that Tabanus is to be found on the Hab, and in the Gaddap, though in small
quantities in the latter place. But surra would be unimportant here if it
were not for the number of diseased camels purchased from outside; it does
not appear to spread wholesale in the Gaddap or in Karachi, but no doubt
can spread to a certain extent. The camels at the Salt-works seemed very
free from surra; some of the camelmen said that Tabanus breeds out from the
Mangrove-swamps there, but I do not think this is likely, though the point
can only be settled in the hot weather.
33. The Delta.—I was able to trace surra to the vicinity of every
important branch of the river. The delta is full of surra and it is a universal
practice among the owners of herds to evacuate it during the flood-season.
It affords good grazing in the healthy season.