TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) – – The Cagayan Provincial Health Office (PHO) is set to implement a large-scale livestock vaccination campaign in Santo Niño, Cagayan following confirmed anthrax cases in one of its barangays.
Reports indicated that two carabaos were butchered for food in a community. Five individuals exhibited lesions and symptoms consistent with anthrax infection. Upon medical evaluation, they were confirmed to be infected.
Reports indicate that samples taken from the livestock were tested using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) at the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, revealing that the animals were unvaccinated.
The Department of Agriculture, the Provincial Veterinary Office of Cagayan, and the Municipal Agriculture Office of Santo Niño also conducted a joint investigation on the said cases.
The local government has responded promptly, ensuring that affected individuals receive the necessary medical care.
According to DA Rgeion 2, there have been 10,000 vaccines allocated for the region.
“Given that the livestock population in the area is approximately 100,000, Santo Niño town will be prioritized, along with neighboring towns and areas with previous anthrax cases,” she said.
In 2023, vaccinations were also conducted in Santo Niño and Solana towns. In 2022, four carabaos in Santo Niño died from cutaneous anthrax, leading to the isolation of 73 individuals exposed to the infected animals, followed by a mass vaccination campaign by the DA. (GVB/PIA Cagayan)
