From Charles Akpeji, Jalingo

Cattle owners in Dorofi, Kwarakwara, Furmi, Mayo-Ngada and other villages in Sardauna Local Council of Taraba State have suffered significant losses due to an outbreak of cow disease.

The bug, identified as haemorrhagic septicaemia, at the time of filing this report, was reported to have claimed thousands of cows.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Oliver, confirmed the outbreak yesterday in Jalingo.

The state government, he said, had deployed veterinary officers to the affected communities to contain the disease.

Oliver urged residents to support efforts of the veterinary officers in treating and vaccinating the remaining cows.

Governor Agbu Kefas, in collaboration with the ministry, the commissioner added, had initiated measures to prevent the disease from spreading to neighboring communities.

The response plans, which according to him, are in two phases ­– include treatment and vaccination of the affected cattle – would remedy the situation.

The council chairman, Salihu Yerima, lauded the governor’s prompt response and reiterated the council area’s commitment to facilitating the vaccination team’s work.

Saddened by the development, the Sarkin Fulani of the council, Saidu Bawa, confirmed that over a thousand cows have died from the disease.

On his part, the first-class traditional ruler of the area, Audu Baju, said he had previously alerted the state government and the National Veterinary Centre to the outbreak.

He commended the governor’s swift intervention and appealed to authorities to provide assistance to the affected cattle owners.

Some herders, who expressed their distress, urged both the state and federal governments to provide immediate relief to mitigate impact of the disaster.