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29 March 2024

DM achieves control over small ruminant diseases

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By Staff

Dr Hashim Al Awadi, Head of Veterinary Services Section at the Public Health Services Department of Dubai Municipality, has declared the municipality has achieved complete control over small ruminant diseases that threaten the health of livestock.

“According to the reports issued in 2010 by the Scientific Committee for Animal Diseases at the World Organisation for Animal Health, the region enjoys a healthy environment free of this disease through constant vaccination programmes, monitoring and follow-up of the health status of the animal,” Hashim said.  

“Our outlook in disease control is based on maintaining the health of livestock and raising biosecurity to ensure that the emirate is free from any biological and  epidemiological risk,” he said.

Dr Hisham Ahmed Fahmi, an expert in the Veterinary Services Section, explained that this disease affects  all types of sheep and goats. It is a dangerous illness which spreads rapidly. The important signs are severe diarrhea, irritation of eyelids, discharge of tears, stomatitis etc.

“We are keen to prevent the animal diseases, especially infectious one, from entering  the emirate through strict controls implemented through quarantine centres at border crossing points. These centres apply international law, which includes specific steps regarding scrutiny of shipments of imported animals in line with the latest global systems for inspection and sanitary procedures of the OIE,” Hisham said. 

“No case of this disease has been registered during the past three years and we hope to eliminate it as we vaccinated more than 50,000 sheep and goats for breeding in farms and ranches which are subject to the supervision of the department, he added.

Al Awadhi also urged all livestock farmers to expedite the registration of their animals and farms in the approved annual preventive programmes to eliminate infectious diseases that cause economic losses and affect public health.