Disease outbreak kills 192 carabaos in N. Samar town

TACLOBAN CITY – The number of carabao deaths due to an outbreak of “hemorrhagic septicemia” in Las Navas, Northern Samar reached 192 last week, with losses estimated at P4 million.

Wilson Cerbito, regional technical director for research and development and chief of the regulatory division of the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office, some of the animals were provided with drugs but they did not respond to the treatment since their disease was already acute.

In an earlier report, authorities said the disease had affected carabaos in Barangays Lourdes, Bugtosan, Bugay, Geguinta, Poblacion and Lumalaog in Las Navas town.

In the past two weeks, the disease has spread to other villages, including Matiralag, Guyo, Higuinta, Mabini and Bukid because of unchecked transport of infected animals, Cerbito said.

“This was observed at the boundary barangays where animals could move across, transmitting (the disease) to other carabaos,” he said.

Cerbito gave assurance, though, that there would be no more carabao deaths since the outbreak has been addressed.

Veterinary teams have been deployed in the affected areas thrice since the first week of October to make sure measures are in place to combat the problem. So far, at least 500 carabaos in Northern Samar have been treated, he said.

“A massive information and education drive, vaccination, regulatory activities and control and treatment have been implemented under our short-term plan,” Cerbito told The STAR.

Authorities have banned the slaughter of carabaos in Las Navas and adjoining areas to prevent the spread of disease-carrying microorganisms, and have also strictly prohibited the movement of the animals in the three Samar provinces.

“We told farmers to dispose of dead animals and carcasses by burying them immediately and thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the surrounding areas,” the Cerbito said.

Based on the action plan drafted in a meeting last week, the veterinary teams would closely monitor the towns of Las Navas, Catubig, Laoang, Pambujan, San Roque, Mondragon and other areas within the Catubig Valley in Northern Samar.

Infected carabaos suffer from high fever, lacrimation, limping, conjunctivitis, marked depression, muscular tremors, rapid and labored breathing, loss of appetite, nasal discharge, and circling movement, followed by death in less than six to eight hours.

Other animals that could also be infected are cattle, goats and sheep. DA officials said humans are not susceptible to hemorrhagic septicemia.