Foot and mouth disease kills 2 deer in park

Tumkur: The foot and mouth disease, which has been rampant in the state for the past few days, has reached into the forest too.
Two deer in the park at Devarayanadurga succumbed to this disease. A preliminary examination of the carcass was done and the hearts and livers sent to the Veterinary Science College in Bangalore.
Divisional Forest Officer Narasimhamurthy told STOI that to prevent the spread of the disease, a restriction has been imposed on visitors visiting the Madhugiri deer park and Maidanahalli blackbuck reserve.There's also a ban on allowing pets into these reserves.
The challenge of inoculating all the 85 deer in the park is a challenge for the authorities. "We're unable to capture the deer for treatment. We don't have the necessary equipment and therefore there's a delay in the vaccination," sources said. As a solution, the vaccine is being mixed with drinking water but it remains to be seen if this proves to be effective.
Assistant director of the department Prasanna Renuka said 26 animals have died due to the disease in the district. Close to 260 heads of cattle have been affected. Exotic cows have been affected more than indigenous cows. Kunigal and Tumkur have recorded the maximum number of deaths in Tumkur district.
A team of scientists has found that what started out as throat sickness in certain animals turned into the foot and mouth disease. Hence, vaccination for the throat disease is also being insisted upon.
Dr Renuka requested people to vaccinate their pets. Forest department officials also warned people about the communicable nature of the disease and appealed to the public not to transport their livestock anywhere for the next couple of days.