25-05-2025
20 goats die in Uttarkashi from unknown disease
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand animal husbandry department has launched an investigation after villagers in Dhara reported the deaths of around 20 animals due to an unidentified disease over the past week.
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Three veterinary teams from Uttarkashi have been deployed to scan nearly six nearby villages to contain the spread of the illness. Samples collected from the affected animals are scheduled to be sent for testing on Monday.
Veterinary doctors said that the sick animals are exhibiting a range of symptoms. Goats, in particular, may be suffering from contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), gastroenteritis, or a bacterial infection.
Signs include coughing, fever, and apparent transmission of the disease among the herd.
The situation in Dhara, located in the Mori block, is reportedly under control. However, another two villages, Kansal and Rala, have been placed under close monitoring since Sunday.
"I will be visiting Mori on Monday to assess the situation directly from all our field teams, including the 1962 mobile unit and Netwar-based medical teams.
Livestock rearers are advised to isolate sick animals from healthy ones, as the pattern suggests a contagious disease, as medication is being administered on similar lines," said Dr HC Bisht, chief veterinary officer of Uttarkashi.
So far, around 350 goats and sheep have been administered vaccines and provided medication by the medical teams dispatched there.
Randev Pawar, village head of Dhara, said that the animals began showing symptoms after routine grazing in the fringe forest areas. Initially, villagers relied on traditional home remedies, which proved ineffective. "We thought it was a seasonal issue, but the situation worsened quickly, so we had to follow up with the veterinary department," he said.
