The Provincial Sindh Government Livestock Department has launched an awareness campaign against infectious diseases in livestock with the emphasis on haemorrhagic septicaemia, which has a high mortality rate and is currently prevalent in the province.

The director general, Provincial Livestock and Fisheries Depart-ment, Dr Baz Muhammad Jenujo, said that significant progress has been made in controlling infectious diseases in livestock but he still wants to see the use of more vaccines.

However, he said, haemorrhagic septicaemia still remains the most dreadful disease for livestock and dairy farmers because of its high mortality rate in cattle and buffalo. He observed that 90% of the infected animals died if treatment was not given early enough, causing enormous economic losses.

The disease had been controlled in the province except for the occasional cases reported from Landhi Cattle Colony where vaccination against the disease was a regular feature, he added. When contacted, the director, animal husbandry, Sindh, Dr Sarwar said that haemorrhagic septicaemia was precipitated during the rainy season.