Sep 24, Kathmandu - As the incidence of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle and buffalo herds increases, farmers across all 15 local units in the district have begun a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect their livestock.

Starting from Ashoj 1 (mid-September), vaccination efforts have been underway in Mechinagar Municipality and Buddhashanti Rural Municipality. The remaining 13 municipalities are set to initiate the vaccination process from Thursday.

Shital Bhattarai, the head of the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Service Knowledge Center in Jhapa, stated that the campaign aims to vaccinate 190,000 cattle and buffaloes across the district against foot-and-mouth disease.

She mentioned that so far, 6,848 animals in Kanakai, Kachankawal, Haldibari, and Mechinagar have been vaccinated. To facilitate the campaign, 121 skilled technicians are visiting farms and cattle sheds in all municipalities to administer vaccines.

The authorities plan to vaccinate 80% of the livestock in all 15 municipalities by Ashwin 15. The Koshi Province government has supplied vaccines and necessary materials to the municipalities for this purpose.

This vaccination drive follows the successful completion of the fourth phase of the foot-and-mouth disease eradication campaign in Jhapa.