Dr. Baz Muhammad Junejo
Former Secretary of Livestock and Fisheries, Sindh
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This is in reference to news“Solid waste blamed for yak death in Chitral” Daily Dawn dated July 1st, 2026.
A devastating viral disease Rinderpest caused heavy losses, due to mortality in urban commercial dairy colonies mainly buffaloes at Landhi cattle colony Karachi and surroundings for about 20 years continuously up to 2001- 2002, mainly in winter season.
Rinderpest,being a transboundary animal disease, was spread fastly almost in whole country,including Yaks at Chitral and caused heavy lossesand created a havoc amongst farmers of the area, whose livelihood was depending only on yak farming.
For the farmers of Chitral. Yaks are very useful and profitable and adoptable to the area climate where other livestock are not thriving, their milk and meat are healthy and energetic for human beings. Male yaks are used for draft purpose in the area.
Milk of yak contains more fat, protein, minerals and vitamins than cow’s milk and providing protection from severe cold during full winter to the consumers.
As informed by a senior officer of livestock department of area that area people are eating meat of Yak, only once in a year just after start of winter that provide much energy to save them from cold for full winter.
Due to heavy movements of dairy animals, Rinderpest being highly infectious like other TAD,outbreak was spread in yaks of Chitral area and caused heavy losses due to mortality.
Through livestock division MINFAL, matter was reported to P.A.R.C, central veterinary diagnostic laboratory Islamabad, they carry outLot of efforts, but disease was not controlled, neither at Karachi nor Chitral. Later on,F.A.O Islamabad was requested for technical assistance, for control of disease.
Through F. A. O technical assistance, a team of experts from ‘’ World virus reference laboratory Pirbright UK, visited Chitral collected samples, from Yaks, then visited Landhi cattle colony Karachi for about 3 weeks collected samples frombuffaloes for isolation and identification of virus for production of vaccine.
Pirbright lab. Experts did a good job, of vaccine production, send required doses of vaccine to Animal Husbandry commissioner Islamabad for preventive vaccination in yaks at Chitral and surroundings and dairy animals at Landhi cattle colony and other dairy colonies.
Preventive vaccination gave good result, and disease was controlled and simultaneously the rinderpest disease was eradicated, and Pakistan was declared free from RP disease in 2003.Globally Rinderpest was eradicated in year 2011.
As per expert views predisposing factors like, in sanitary conditions, overcrowding unhygienic feed create stress on animals, are prone to diseases. Rinderpest virus has caused disease in livestock, same is the condition of yak in Chitral as solid waste material due to Shandur polio festival created stress in yaks, and pathogenic organisms has caused disease in yaks, this is alarming situation requires immediate attention by livestock department at the area, N.W.F.P P.A.R.C, central vet diagnostic lab. Islamabad, and other international agencies to control any infectious disease on priority before it is spread to other parts of the country and save farmers from loss through training on Management, Nutrition and Disease Control Measures.