Drive against Congo Virus launched in Mohmand Agency

GHALANAI, Aug 27: Mohmand Agency Livestock department has launched a preventive campaign against Congo virus in the Mohmand tribal region here on Sunday.

“We have started the campaign on special directives of FATA Secretariat so that to prevent the Congo virus in the tribal region” told by Assistant Director Livestock Abdur Raziq Safi.

He  said that to control diseases, the department had dispatched teams to all the entry points of Agency like Mamad Gat, Ekkaghund, Michnai and all the local animals markets in Ekkaghund Bazaar, Mian Mandi, Lakaro and others areas where they carried out preventive spray against ticks. 

Special teams were constituted for each area and special duties were assigned to them where they could carry out their activities in these days he added.

Assistant Director Dr. Abdur Raziq Safi that all the cattle farm owners and other stakeholders were educated through brushers and pamphlets about the deadly virus and precautionary measures against it.

He told due to the effective preventive measures by the livestock department no case of Congo virus has been reported in the entire region till this time.

The director appreciated the cooperation of farm owners in the Mohmand tribal region against Congo virus and said such cooperation helped save hundreds of animals on time.

He said precautionary spray campaign would continue until Eidul Azha.

“Congo fever is a zoonotic disease which transmits from animals to the human beings and it is dangerous for human health” said Raziq.

Dr. Safi told that slaughterhouses were also targeted during the campaign with butchers being made aware of the Congo virus, and how to spray animals like goats, sheeps, cows etc.

He said such measures were being taken in upper Mohmand, a remote area of the mohmand agency.

“Livestock teams are spraying animals and their places, while farm owners and traders were being requested to cooperate with livestock department in this respect.