Foot and Mouth Disease in Ewes

Written by: Muzamil Shah Watandost

Livestock, especially ewes and goats play an important role in the economic life of ranchers in Afghanistan. They use take benefit of meat, wool, and milk of livestock. However, some diseases have reduced livestock and their crops. One of these diseases is foot and mouth disease in sheep. 

 According to a clinical survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture of Afghanistan last year, the number of animals infected with this disease was about 17,000 and about 12,000 of them were sheep.

 AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some ranchers and a veterinarian about this disease.

Arbab Shir, a resident of Nahreen district of Panjshir province says, “Sheep and goats infected with foot and mouth disease do not eat well in the morning; this disease affects the stomach and mouth of some of them, and others are affected by feet and they would be unable to walk; lose half their weight; become weak and if a lamb is infected with mouth and foot disease, it will no longer live alive.”

A rancher, Kheyal Muhammad says, “My most sheep were suffering from foot and mouth disease. When it could not walk, it would die. My 15 sheep died of this disease and I faced about 150,000 Afghanis loss.”

Doctor Emal Wafa, a veterinarian says, “Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease of livestock causing fever followed by the development of blisters chiefly in the mouth and on the feet. Foot and mouth disease can kill young animals and cause serious production losses.” 

What do some ranchers think about the cause of foot and mouth disease in sheep and goats?

Tahsil, a resident of Dehsabz district, Kabul province says, “I don’t know about the cause of foot and mouth disease but I know that it’s a viral and fatal disease.”

Haji Kako, a resident of the Tarakhel district of Kabul province says, “If healthy livestock eats or drinks the rest of the food or water left from an infected sheep, the healthy sheep would also develop the foot and mouth disease.”

Emal Wafa says, “Foot and mouth disease could be transmitted from an infected sheep or a goat to a healthy one by air particles inside the barn and it’s also easily spread through contaminated feed and water."

How do some livestock owners treat and prevent their sheep and goat from foot and mouth disease?

Abdul Basir, a resident of Baghlan province says, “We keep infected sheep separate from the others and apply the vaccines to them.”

Haji Kako says, "We pour a mixture of potassium permanganate and water into the mouth and hoofs of an infected sheep, and this solution cools the wound."

Doctor Emal Wafa says, “The best way to prevent livestock from the foot and mouth disease is to get sheep vaccinated against the disease. Infected livestock should not be vaccinated because it causes the death of the livestock.

The livestock owners Must keep the livestock barns clean. The healthy sheep should not live with the infected livestock; avoid the healthy livestock from eating leftovers of food and water from infected livestock. 

It is useful to make a solution of potassium permanganate and water and pour it on the hoof of the infected livestock. When the livestock owner realizes that his neighbor's livestock is infected, he should vaccinate his livestock without any delay and using OCT spray kills germs in the mouth of the livestock.”