SL Dairy Cattle Imported from Australia in 2017 Afflicted with BVD
SRI LANKA - In a bid to boost the local dairy industry, the government had imported over 20,000 high-yielding milch cows from Australia in 2017, but most of them were found afflicted with Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), it was revealed yesterday at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate corruption of the current administration.
18 June 2019
1 minute read
Veterinary Research Officer Dr Hemal Kothalawala informed the commission that BVD was a viral disease among cattle and that it could spread in several ways.
"We still cannot prevent the spreading of the virus because the government had failed to take timely measures to deport the diseased cows back to the manufacture. Prior to the research period, the imported batches from Australia had been handed over to the middle-scale dairy farmers in many areas and when the research team commenced the study, it identified several cows with BVD," he said.
He mentioned that during the first few tests of the research period, the team identified most cows with positive BVD virus, but during the second stage that some of them had died.
During the testimony, Director of Animal Health Dr M.D.N. Jayaweera informed the commission that when continuing tests on these cows, they identified the poor health condition of them but the government failed to take necessary action.
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Source: Daily Mirror
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