Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Aug 18: At least 50 cattleheads died on being attacked with 'Badla' (rainy season) disease in Paba, Bagha and Godagari upazilas of the district during last three days. Cattleheads which used to graze at the fields of char villages are vulnerable to the disease.
Villagers complained, by consuming newly grown grass in the rain, cattleheads are being attacked with the disease and are dying within a short span of time.
Another source, however, said, the Badla disease is being carried out by imported and smuggled cattle from India. The source further informed, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, a huge number of cattle from India are being smuggled into the country through various frontier char villages and many of those smuggled cattle are infected with Badla disease.
It is learnt, a large number of cattleheads of char villages Yousufpur, Dadpur, Palashi, Fatehpur, Nichapalashi, Kalidaskhali, Bimanpura, Chamudia, Pakuria, Tiktikpara, Dear Kadirpur and Manikerchar under Bagha upazila have been infected with Badla disease. At the same time, several hundred cattleheads of Char villages of Char-khidirpur, Majardiar, Khanpur, Haripur and Sonaiknadi of Paba upazila and Premtali, Charkanapara, Shekherpara, Char Asariadaha, Diar-mankchar, Fardapur, Nimtola and Alipur have also been attacked with the disease. At least 40 Badla infected cattleheads of those villages died during the last three days, informed sources said.
According to sources, on being afraid of further infection, cattlehead rearers and traders were shifting their cattle to comparatively raised ground, mainly beside the highways and feeding them with straw instead of grass but that was also not working to contain the disease.
Cattle rearers and traders of Godagari upazila have become panicky due to Badla infection. They were apprehending, the disease may take to an epidemic form killing hundreds of cattleheads which would incur a huge loss for them specially before Eid-ul-Azha.
Kausar Ali, Upazila Veterinary Surgeon of Godagari upazila informed, the vaccine for the diseases Badla, Torka(Sudden death of cattle due to heart failure) and Golafula( Swelling of throat) are needed to be administered before the appearance of the rainy season. But, this year, the vaccine was not injected in the upazila.
Sanaullah (55) of Char Asaridaha village said, at least 40 cattleheads of char villages of Bagha, Paba and Godagari died during the last three days. He said, when attacked with Badla disease, cattleheads suffered from fever with trembling and belly and upper thighs are swelled killing the cattle within a short time. He informed, the farmers are rushing to local veterinary surgeons for treatment but there was not much result.
Dr. Kabir Hossain, Upazila Animal Resource Officer of Godagari said, cattleheads are being attacked with Badla disease due to consuming of grass sub-merged in rainwater. He further informed, cattle of the affected villages are being vaccinated and there was nothing to be worried with the disease.
