In the first six months of 2022, several provinces in Cambodia saw tens of thousands of cases of sick cattle, though the number of deaths was low.

In Battambang province, Animal Health and Production Bureau chief Pen Setha said there were 2,039 sick cows with eight deaths and 204 sick buffaloes with two deaths.

He said veterinarians had vaccinated 252 cattle against Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) and 20,094 cows and 127 buffaloes against Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS).

In Mondulkiri province, Animal Health and Production Bureau chief Pen Pros said 12 cows died in Oreang district’s Dak Dam commune, but noted that the deaths were not from the infectious diseases.

He said that after inspecting the dead cows, they determined that it was a case of poisoning by chemicals, not an outbreak of an infectious disease.

“After the inspection, we handed them over to the authorities for burial. We also took samples for analysis from the liver and heart and from nearby water sources and sent them to the laboratory in Phnom Penh to check them and end any suspicions,” he said.

Pros said cattle vaccination for the first six months of 2022 was considered complete and they are ready to vaccinate for the second half of 2022.

He noted that relatively few cattle got sick and died, and when they received the information about sick animals, the veterinary agents went down to check and treat them promptly.