Amur farms with leukemia-sick cows will be quarantined

New veterinary rules for the fight against leukemia in cattle, approved by order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, came into force. Now, farms where there are sick animals will be quarantined, and the owners themselves must keep the animals in isolation. 

Also, the rules clearly prescribe the conditions that must be observed when keeping infected animals. Their compliance will be monitored by the veterinary supervision staff. Violations are subject to administrative liability and heavy fines.

Cattle for leukemia in the Amur region are examined every year. The disease is chronic, and to date, farms have been identified in the region that contain sick animals. As a rule, we are talking about personal subsidiary plots. Most cows infected with leukemia are in the Ivanovo and Belogorsk districts.

Since 2005, the number of large livestock farms affected by this disease has decreased from 11 to three. However, in the past, the owners of household plots were reluctant to follow the recommendations of veterinary specialists.

- In connection with the entry into force of new veterinary regulations, restrictions on leukemia have become much tougher. The changes are aimed at the prevention and elimination of this disease and apply to farms of all forms of ownership. Most owners of infected cattle are well aware of the diagnosis of their animals, veterinary specialists have repeatedly interviewed them, so this should not come as a surprise to them, ”explained Sergey Samokhvalov, HEAD of the Amur Veterinary Department.

Bovine leukemia is a chronic infectious disease caused by a virus. Transmission factors are blood, MILKand other infected secrets. Infection can occur when healthy and infected animals are kept together. At the same time, a sick animal does not show external signs of the disease for a long time and can become a source of infection for the entire herd, the regional veterinary department reports.