Villagers say animals had ‘breathing problems’ after shepherd got infected
BENGALURU:
Popular panic over Covid is not sparing even animals, despite irrefutable evidence that the virus cannot spread from humans to animals. A herd of 50 goats and sheep has been ‘quarantined’ at a Tumakuru village after a shepherd tested positive for Covid.
According to an animal husbandry department official, people in Godekere village of Gollarahatti taluk said the animals seemed to have problems in breathing.
The villagers approached district in-charge minister J C Madhuswamy and Deputy Commissioner K Rakesh Kumar, following which animal husbandry officials collected swab samples of the animals.
Veterinarians say the probable cause is goat plague (peste des petits, or PPR), along with mycoplasma infection.
The animals’ samples have been sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals laboratory in Bhopal.
The animals have been isolated for now because PPR and mycoplasma can spread to other animals.
