Raqqa Implements 70 Percent of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccination Campaign for Cattle

The Animal Health and Production Department at the Directorate of Agriculture in Raqqa Governorate announced the implementation of 70 percent of the preventive campaign to vaccinate cattle against foot-and-mouth disease, which began two weeks ago, as part of precautionary measures to protect and develop livestock.

The Department Head, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Mahmoud, stated in an interview with SANA correspondent on Thursday that the campaign started at the beginning of October and will continue until it covers the vaccination of 21,538 cattle heads and 84 buffaloes, encompassing all relevant centers and departments in the governorate.

Al-Mahmoud emphasized the great importance of the campaign due to the severity of foot-and-mouth disease and its resulting epidemics, infections, economic losses, and abortions in herds. He noted that the Directorate implements an annual plan involving periodic campaigns to prevent epidemic diseases, such as smallpox and enterotoxemia campaigns for sheep and goats, ensuring the safety and health of herds in various areas of the governorate.

For his part, veterinary technician Abdullah Al-Shawakh in the Department explained in a similar statement that livestock vaccination campaigns proceed regularly according to planned strategies aimed at protecting local production. He pointed out that vaccines are secured exclusively through the Ministry of Agriculture, ensuring their safety and reliability free from any fraud cases.

Regarding the delivery of vaccines to remote rural areas, Al-Shawakh highlighted the challenges faced by veterinary teams who make exceptional self-reliant efforts using individual transport means such as motorcycles and cars to carry out campaigns in various areas to ensure the protection of livestock. He clarified that vaccine storage and transport are conducted within dedicated refrigerators to ensure their efficacy until they reach breeders.

Al-Shawakh stressed the necessity for breeders to vaccinate their cattle twice a year, calling for cooperation with preventive campaigns implemented by the Directorate of Agriculture every six months to ensure the health and safety of herds.

The vaccination campaigns implemented by the Animal Health and Production Department at the Raqqa Directorate of Agriculture every six months contribute to maintaining herd safety and enhancing the stability of breeding these herds in various areas of the governorate. The livestock population is estimated at approximately 2.5 million heads of sheep and goats, in addition to 21,538 cattle heads and 84 buffalo heads.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)