AURANGABAD, Jan 5: Panic and fear have gripped mutton-eaters following a statement released by leaders of the Dhangar community (traditional shepherds) that scores of sheep and goats were dying of a strange disease in several parts of the district.The news coming close on the heels of the Hong-Kong bird flu has created chaos and confusion, but officials insist the situation is completely normal.The statement from the Dhangar leader Lohaji Shewale, was a desperate but clever bid to change the placid atmosphere that greets most leaders when they visit them to campaign for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, officials opine.Interestingly, the Dhangar community leader has threatened to launch an agitation if the government does not pay its members an ex-gratia immediately. A team of vets attached to the Zilla Parishad found nothing unusual during their visit to the "affected" villages, soon after complaints from Shewale."We have found no appreciable death rates during the past weeks," Animal Husbandry officer of the Aurangabad Zilla Parishad, Dr D V Chakurkar told The Indian Express.In fact, we failed to get a carcass for post-mortem to check the alleged findings of the community, the officer added. Whatever deaths had occurred were following varied diseases like contagious ecthyma, HS, worm load which are reported all through the year, Dr Chakurkar said. The doctor said he saw no reason why non-vegetarians should give up meat in the current situation.Even during the outbreak of a mild disease, the top most concern is not human consumption of the meat, but the heavy toll it takes on rural economy owing to large number of deaths in the herds. The Indian method of cooking is such that we are hardly left with proteins and nutrients from the meat, leave alone passing on any virus, the doctor said.However, the fear generated by the Dhangar community's statement surpasses the confidence exuded by the 72 doctors at the command of Dr Dhakurkar and thousands of shepherds now await a financial aid package from the Government.
