Disease claims hundreds of cows in Jaisalmer villages

Jaisalmer: According to some reports, hundreds of cows in many villages including Kathodi in Jaisalmer district have succumbed to some disease. In Kathodi village, more than 500 cows have died in a span of few days.
Animal husbandry department has confirmed the death of over 150 cows in this village. The district collector has directed the officials to stop the disease from spreading.As one enters Kathodi the stench of the carcasses is too strong to ignore. Kathodi is a mere 32 km away from Jaisalmer.
The carcasses of cows have turned into skeleton and birds can be seen hovering over them. If the villagers are to be believed then 2-3 cows are dying every day. Apart from Kathodi, cows are also dying due to the spreading of disease at Badoda, Asayach, Habur, Raghva, Khiyan, Sam and Hamira and almost every other village in the district.
According to the information gathered, there were around 1,500 cows in 200 houses at Kathodi village. Out of these 500 died in the last two months and only 1,000 cows are left now. The villagers are scared that in some time all the cows would die. No one has been talking about the disease clearly. A veterinary doctor from Deva told villagers that cows here have been suffering from a disease called 'Karra', however, those associated with animal husbandry think that the animals have been afflicted by some other disease.
The elderly women in the houses are in a state of shock due to the death of cows, as serving cows had become their routine. They are quite disappointed. The cows after getting infected with this unknown disease stop eating and cannot even move from the place due to which they become weak and die within a week.
Every house in Kathodi village has cows and every house in the last two months has witnessed deaths of the bovines. Villagers say that government and administration should have a sensitive attitude and should send a team of experienced doctors so that the disease can be identified. Along with this they also feel that a veterinary hospital should be opened here and arrangements should be made to bury these dead animals so that there is no outbreak of epidemic.
Malkhan Singh Meena, deputy director of animal husbandry department, said, the disease in cows is due to clostridium botulinum. Generally, pregnant and weak cows due to lack of calcium, phosphorous and protein lick the bones of carcasses and in this process, blood and flesh of the dead animal enters their body and the animals suffer from karra (paralysis). There is no cure for this disease and prevention is the only cure, said Meena, who has been creating awareness among villagers to prevent this disease.