Goats and sheep quarantined after shepherd contracts COVID-19

About 50 goats and sheep have been kept in isolation at a vill in Tumakuru district after a shepherd tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Tuesday.

villrs panicked when y ticed that some goats and sheep at Godekere vill in Gollarahatti taluk were having respiratory problems, an officer in animal husbandry department of district said.

Speaking on condition of anymity, officer told PTI: "A few of animals whom shepherd h reared developed respiratory problems....w that re is corona scare everywhere, people are afraid that animals too have contracted disease." villrs n sought help of Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Mhuswamy, who is Tumkuru district in charge minister, and Deputy Commissioner of district K Rakesh Kumar to get matter investigated.

minister directed animal husbandry department to probe matter following which department officials rushed to vill and collected samples.

Veterinary experts suspect that animals are suffering from Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also kwn as goat plague, and mycoplasma infection.

officer said samples collected from animals have been sent to Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals and veterinary laboratory in Bhopal.

According to him, prevalence of COVID-19 has t been recorded in goats and sheep.

animals have been quarantined because PPR and mycoplasma too are communicable diseases and can spre to or animals, he ded.