4
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
A few cases of anthrax were recorded in That on and Toungoo Districts and
some 248 deaths were recorded in Amherst District.
Foot-and-mouth disease was prevalent all over the division, being especially
so in the Pa-an, Paung and Hlaingbwè Townships of the That6n District and in the
Kyaikmaraw and Kawkareik Townships of the Amherst District.
Veterinary Inspector, 1.
Special duty, Nil.
Veterinary Assistants, 13—Amherst 3, Tavoy 1, Mergui 1, Thatôn 5 and
Toungoo 3.
Special duty, 2—Amherst District.
Outbreaks attended, 267.
Total number of deaths from contagious diseases, 5,019.
Upper Burma.
Table II.
7. In only one district, Myitkyina, did the mortality from rinderpest exceed
one thousand, and. in two districts only, viz., Bhamo and Yamèthin, was the
estimated loss over five hundred—Bhamo 923, Yamèthin 738.
In Myitkyina District the disease was prevalent throughout the year. It first
appeared at Naphaw on the China Frontier, its introduction there being attri-
buted to the importation of affected Chinese pigs. From there it gradually
spread to Katkyo and surrounding villages in the Myitkyina Subdivision, from
whence it was carried into the Mogaung Subdivision, where the greatest mortality
occurred. It may be said that the disease extended from Kanpha at least, a
Shan-Chinese village near the confluence, through Myitkyina and Mogaung as far
as Hôpin. It also extended into the Indawgyi area—Lawsun and Panla—some
twenty-eight miles from L6nt3n. The villagers here also attributed the introduc-
tion of the disease to pigs. The villagers of Mogaung and Hôpin villages stated
that the disease had not visited this tract of country for seventeen years. Every-
thing was done to try and stamp out the disease ; segregation was strictly
enforced, camps were made in every village, one for sick, one for in-contacts and
one for convalescents. The villagers, however, during the early period, not having
witnessed such an epidemic before, were apathetic. They failed to report deaths
and frequently permitted the carcases of animals to remain unburied. Punish-
ments had to be inflicted both on headmen and villagers for disobedience of orders,
and in this respect the natives of India gave the most trouble, many wilfully
+disobeying the orders issued by the Subdivisional and Township Officers.
The Deputy Commissioner and officers subordinate to him were unremitting
in their efforts to help us and the cultivators by explaining the advantages to be
derived from serum injection.
In July, the disease being acute, certain villages were persuaded to permit
their cattle to be injected. The Superintendent and second Superintendent at
once proceeded with a party and carried out serum injection at Mogaung, Pinbaw
and Hôpin. The disease was of a virulent type. Again, in the early part of Decem-
ber, a party proceeded to Hôpin to visit Ywataikyi, Kangtha and Kangwin, some
eleven miles to the westward of Hôpin. It was found the outbreak was amongst a
timber contractor's buffaloes who fortunately had taken prompt and proper measures
in the matter of segregation, etc., thus not only saving a large number of his valu-
able animals but preventing the disease from spreading. At the end of January
rinderpest was said to have broken out afresh to the east of H6pin, and the Superin-
tendent and second Superintendent again proceeded there. On arrival, learning
that the outbreak was neither very virulent nor extensive, the second Superinten-
dent remained to deal with it. Towards the close of the year another outbreak
was reported from this place. Senior Veterinary Assistant Bhagwan Singh went
up with a party to carry out serum injection. Cattle were injected at H6pin and
the disease stopped. From Hôpin he proceeded to villages affected in the
Indawgyi area and carried out serum injection.
The estimated mortality from rinderpest in Myitkyina District is 4,358.