Mass goat deaths trigger panic among locals in Puri

Puri: Panic has gripped Samajajpur village of Puri district as more than 50 goats here have reportedly died due to an unknown disease.

Villagers, who heavily depend on goat farming, are in distress as their livelihood is at stake due to these deaths. As per reports, more than 50 families of the village depend on goat farming for sustenance.

Due to the disease, initially, the legs of the goats get wounded and subsequently it spreads to different parts of the body and later they succumb, complained the villagers.

Though the District Veterinary Officer had administered injection to the infected goats, it could not cure the cattle from the disease.

"My 33 goats have died and 10 are still suffering from the disease. No vet could diagnose the ailment. Goat farming is the only means of my livelihood. How will I sustain now?" said Baidhara Das, a local.

Another local Prafulla Bhoi stated vets have raised their hands by saying that there is no medicine available to cure the disease. Therefore, we have taken the help of an occult, he added.

Last week after heavy rainfall, many places in the village were waterlogged. A few villagers suspected that the disease might have spread in the area due to swampy conditions.

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On the other hand, social activist Nishikant Mishra said, "The local administration has failed to identify the disease. They are only administering an injection, which has only forced the villagers to take help of occultist."

Refuting it as a case of mass death of goats, the vets claimed that the disease might be a viral one. "We will vaccinate the goats. They are suffering from a disease quite similar to that of Jaundice, which is viral. As per the report we have received, there are sporadic death cases," said Girija Patnaik, CDVO, Puri.