Animal vaccination day for food safety

Vientiane Times, 10 Nov 2009

Farmers across the country are being urged to get their livestock
vaccinated to decrease the number of unexpected animal deaths and to
make them safe for human consumption.

The Livestock and Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture
will try to encourage each provincial and district farming sector to
vaccinate their animals on National Animal Vaccination Day on November
11, said the department Director General, Dr Bounkhouang
Khambounheuang.

In Vientiane this year, the department would hold a ceremony at
Phathana village in Naxaithong district.

Dr Bounkhouang said some provinces in the northern and southern parts
of the country, especially Xieng Khuang, Savannakhet and Champassak,
were also preparing to observe the day.

He said he hoped farmers would cooperate so that animals on 80-100
percent of farms were vaccinated, 70 percent of livestock in cities
and 40 percent of animals in rural areas were protected.

“We'll use more than 10 types of vaccines to vaccinate livestock
including buffaloes, cattle, goats, pigs and poultry to prevent
haemorrhagic fever, anthrax and Newcastle disease,” he said.

Vaccination would improve the health of individual animals and would
also help to make entire areas disease free in the future.

Dr Bounkhouang said the department would also focus on surveillance in
high-risk areas, animal movement control and illegal trading.

Authorities carried out similar activities on the first National
Animal Vaccination Day last year.

“We have selected November 11 this year because this is when livestock
gathers in pens and most farmers have finished their rice harvesting.
It is also the start of the cold season, when many animal diseases or
viruses occur,” he said.

The department must try to encourage farmers to vaccinate their
animals by the end of the cold season or the beginning of the rainy
season, he said.

Before the ministry implemented the vaccination day programme, only 30
to 40 percent of livestock on average were vaccinated.

Now 60-70 percent have been vaccinated against the risk of infectious
diseases, Dr Bounkhouang said.

He said the department would use the day to help farmers understand
the importance of protecting their livestock against disease.