Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Information presented in the current assembly session indicates that the state documented up to 360 instances of zoonotic diseases between 2022 and 2024.
Zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, bird flu, leptospirosis, and Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), are infections that are transferred from humans to animals by bites or other contact.
The Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Nilkanth Halarnkar, responded to a question posed by Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao, by stating that there were 31 cases of leptospirosis, 10 cases of avian flu, and 15 cases of KFD this year.
There were 80 instances of leptospirosis, 25 cases of avian flu, 5 cases of KFD, and one case of rabies last year. There were 167 cases of bird flu and 26 cases of leptospirosis in 2022, but there were no incidences of rabies or KFD.
In response to a question concerning the number of animals and birds that passed away from viral infections between June 2022 and June 2024, the minister stated that 825 cases of rabies, swine fever, Marek’s disease combined with avian sarcoma leukosis virus, and African swine fever were recorded.
Additionally, it was disclosed that the department began immunizing against infectious diseases in 2022 and has continued to this day. They consist of 14,986 shots this year, 2,07,071 shots last year, 49,672 anti-rabies shots for stray dogs provided by Mission Rabies, 45,872 shots scheduled for 2022–2023 and 56,337 anti-rabies shots for stray dogs provided by Mission Rabies.
According to the minister, Mission Rabies spent Rs 48.80 lakh in fiscal year 2022–2023 and Rs 89.65 lakh in fiscal year 2022–2023.
