Participatory analysis on seasonal incidences of

livestock diseases in District Kasur

Punjab Pakistan
Dr Muhammad Rasheed
In charge PDS Team (B)
L&DD Punjab
Abstract:
The Participatory Epidemiology activities are being carried out in the
allocated Districts of Punjab by the PDS teams with the purpose to
locate, control and eradicate the Transboundry Animal Diseases
(Rinderpest, Foot and Mouth Disease and Pest Des Petites Ruminants)
by the experts of Livestock and Dairy Development Department. The
PDS Team carried out different activities having the basic theme of
Participatory approach by involving the farmers/livestock keepers.
During that purposive surveillance on Transboundry Animal Diseases, a
Participatory appraisal method called Seasonal Calendar was used to
understand local perception of seasonal variations in livestock diseases
in that particular area/village. In the month of January, 2004 the
PDS team (B) visited the villages (randomly selected by the Data
Analyst) of District Kasur and by applying the different tools of
Participatory Epidemiology, the onset of different Livestock diseases
was observed. The exercise of Proportional pilling with the local
farmers was the actual key to determine the Livestock diseases
prevalence and importance wise. The PDS Team (B) visited 55
villages of District Kasur scattered in the whole District and contacted
1059 Farmers of area while conducting the 59 farmers meetings in
the targeted villages. During the survey 25 Key Informants were
interviewed for the prevalence of any contagious livestock diseases in
the area/ village. The PDS Team collected 04 laboratory samples. The
PDS Team (B) also visited 15 field veterinary institutions and
contacted 54 veterinary staff personals while conducting 01
awareness meetings. According to the contacted farmers and Key
Informants interviewed, the Transboundry Animal Diseases are not
present in the District except Foot and Mouth Disease which was
observed during the PDS activities by the PDS team (B).
The Rinderpest Disease is not present in the area/targeted villages
of District Kasur since long time.
The PDS Team (B) acknowledge the cooperation extended by the
District Livestock Officer Kasur and his office a well as field veterinary
staff while carrying out the PDS activities in the villages effectively.

1
Introduction and brief of District Kasur:

The city of Kasur is an aggregation

of fortified hamlets, called kots,
small in themselves, but together
forming a considerable town. Their
names are Pacca Qila, Kot Ghulam
Muhammad, Kot Murad Khan, Kot
Usman Khan, Kot Badar-ud-Din
Khan, Kot Azam Khan, Kot Halim
Khan, Kot Fateh Din Khan, Kot Piran,
Kot Ruken Din Khan, Kot Budha, Kot
Sher Baz Khan, Dhoor Kot, Roarr Kot, Kot Mir Baz Khan, Kot Qatal
Garhi, Kot Ali Garh.
According to some historians, its name is corrupted form of Kashawar,
in the same way as Lahore is said to be a shortened form of Lahawar.
Tradition refers the foundation of the town to Kush, a brother of Loh or
Lav, son of Rama, who is said to have founded Lahore. Some
historians opine that Kasur is the Persian word and is plural form of
Kasr or Qasr (Kot). However this may be, Kasur does not appear in
history until far on in the Muhammad period. The colony of Pathans
was located at some time during the reign of Babar, but more probably
in 1560, during the reign of his grandson Akbar. At that time the town
is said to have numbered 3500 souls. Among the Pathans who settled
here were certain Hasanzais, whose descendents became the chiefs of
the town and founded a considerable principality, including territory on
both banks of the Sutlej.
The district Kasur is comprised of 3 sub-divisions (Tehsils) namely
Kasur, Chunian and Pattoki. There are 11 Markazs, 103 Union
Councils, and 615 Villages in the District Kasur.

2
Livestock population in district Kasur:

S/No Species Population

1. Buffalo 473236

2. Cattle 148064

3. Sheep 563751

4. Goat 122129

5. Rural Poultry 173712

6. Others 70964

Total 1551856

Methods and Methodology Used:

Knowing the local names of livestock
diseases during the different
Participatory Epidemiology exercises
such as conducting farmers meeting at
common place in the village, by
discussing livestock disease problems
prevalence and importance wise,
scoring the livestock diseases impact on
livelihood with proportional pilling,
drawing the village / area map on the
ground by the farmers, informal interviews with the farmers, observing
the sick animals and during the matrix scoring of livestock diseases. To
confirm the perception of disease, the picture, diagram and some time
hand made cartoons showing the
symptoms of different livestock
diseases were used. The old and
illiterate farmers were very
knowledgeable on animal health
matters and livestock disease
incidences in the area. They actively
participated in the making of Seasonal
calendar on the ground with pictures
and stones.

3
The PDS Team used different countable thing according to the situation
and availability such as small stones, seeds, beans and fodder or sugar
cane cuttings. The use of local common and daily use things creates
much interest and excitement among the farmers /livestock keeper.
Construction / drawing of one year time line on the ground and asking
the rain fall pattern to understand the seasons of the year, gave the
confidence to the farmers for participation in the process of making
seasonal calendar of livestock diseases present in the area/village.
Pictures showing the identity of particular season were used to
elaborate the season. The farmers were asked the incidences of
disease in different seasons of the year one by one by dividing
countable things in the sections under seasons. After each disease
scored, the participants with discussion and personal experiences
reviewed the result.
Season HS FMD PPHU Mastitis R/Fever P/Uterus Milk
Fever
Winter☻☻ ** **** ** * - - *
Spring♫♫ - ** ** ** *** - *

Summer☼☼ *** * - * ** *** -

Rainy **** - - ** - * ***

Autumn♥♥ ** ** * ** - * **

SL/NO SEASON DISEASE

1. ☺☺☺ HS, FMD,
PPHU, Mastitis,
Enterotoxaemia, Pleuropnemonia,
Winter Diarrhea and M/Fever
2. ♫♫♫♫ FMD,PPHU,Mastitis, Rheumatism,
Tympny, Ticks, M/Fever
Spring and I/Worms
3. ☼☼☼ HS, FMD, Mastitis, Rheumatism,
Prolapsed Uterus and
Summer Abortion
4. HS, Mastitis,
Prolapsed Uterus and
Rainy Milk fever
season
5. ☻☻☻ HS, FMD, PPHU, Mastitis, P/Uterus, I/Worms,
Tympny, M/Fever and
Autumn Impaction

4
Results and Discussions:

The (PA) participatory appraisal to locate the incidences of different

livestock diseases in the particular area is based on the indigenous
veterinary or animal husbandry knowledge of the farmers/livestock
keepers. The farmers of District Kasur are well aware about the onset /
seasons of different livestock diseases and preventive measures for
the contagious livestock disease are in practice by the farmer as well
as the field staff of livestock department. The major threatening
disease for livestock in the area is HS but with the proper vaccination
schedule, the losses have been controlled. The known pattern/season
(rainy season) of HS have established the vaccination program among
the farmers/livestock keepers. Foot and Mouth Disease in cattle is
causing serious economic losses whole the year with mild and irregular
symptoms but Mastitis was the disease of concern for the
farmer/livestock due to its sudden impact on milk production in rainy
seasons. In the season of winter and spring Post Parturient
Hemoglobin Urea (PPHU) in buffalo and cattle is also causing economic
losses. The incidences of different livestock diseases are also
associated with the fodder scarcity period i.e. May, June and October,
November. The shortage of nutritious fodder is causing stress, which
leads towards diseases especially Rheumatism. In these months the
internal and external parasites are also causing serious problems for
the livestock so as for the farmer/livestock keeper. Participatory
approaches and methods are quite useful for qualitative research, data
validity and crosschecking of information/data derived from other
different sources, so the process of Participatory approach /
Participatory Diseases Search should be established on regular basis
for general disease surveillance as well as for purposive disease
surveillance with efficient disease reporting system.

Dr Muhammad Rasheed PDS Expert L&DD Punjab: vetdr@swl.paknet.com.pk

Literature consulted:
Hand out on Seasonal Calendar by Dr Jeff Mariner
Preventive veterinary medicine 53 (2002) 275-284 by Andy
Catley
Punjab livestock census 2000
PDS report on District Kasur by PDS Team (B) L&DD Punjab