Annual report of the Sudan Veterinary Service.

  • Sudan. Veterinary Service.
Date:
[1938]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Sudan Veterinary Service. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/100 (page 3)
    3. SECTION I DISEASES OF ANIMALS. I. DISEASES OP CATTLE Cattle Plague All Provinces remained infected but nowhere did the disease assume epizootic proportions. The value of the prophylactics supplied to combat this disease is now fully appreciated by all Arab cattle owners in the Northern Sudan and only once had action to be taken in the case of an unreported outbreak. The complete confidence of the people was finally gained through the creation by Tribal Administrations of numerous posts on their staffs for veterinary tribal retainers. These retainers', selected from the animal-owning tribesmen, wore trained at provincial veterinary headquarters in disease control end animal husbandry and then returned to their tribes for permanent duty. This has resulted in a close liaison between the Veterinary Service and the cattle owners. Whereas in the early days of disease control, when response to propaganda on the benefits of prophylactics for cattle plague appeared slow, there was sufficient serum and vaccine to meet‘air demands, now that disease is spontaneously reported, and all owners of infected and incontact herds want their animals treated. Veterinary Inspectors are faced with the difficulty of how to distribute their supplies (which are frequently insufficient to meet all demands) to the best advantage. Bata on the carrying capacity of certain areas is graduallybeing obtained and, also, on the economic use to which' cattle and their products are being put. It will bo largely on an assessment of these factors that the'distribution of prophylactics will in future take place. Returns of treated outbreaks for 1958 show that 896 outbreaks occurred, involving 519,915 head of cattle, of which 85,were serumised and 54,186 vaccinated. That the disease present was of a mild nature is shown by the small number of deaths which occurred in these outbreaks - the total being 1,912. In addition to the 5k,l80 doses of cattle plague vaccine used in connexion with the above outbreaks, 65,151 doses were given prophylactically for the immunising of trade cattle and dairy herds, and as a means of localising outbreaks by creating a ring of immune cattle round infected areas. In some instances, too, vaccine was given to' induce owners to adopt improved methods of animal industry, such ns drying of hides by the suspension method.