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Provincial veterinarian Lorna Lamorena said the disease has affected cattle and carabaos here and in the towns of Sto. Nino and Banga and has spread to nearby Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat.
The areas affected have some 2,000 heads of cattle.
Surra affects not only cattle but also buffaloes and is marked by short fever, shivering, lameness and muscular stiffness.
Lamonera said many farmers have been alarmed by the number of animals hit by the disease, although there were no reports of mortality yet. She said many farmers are still using carabaos or water buffalos in tilling the fields.
Surra can cause serious economic losses through deaths, decreased milk production, lowered fertility of bulls, delays in marketing and restrictions on the export of live cattle.
Lamorena's office has already sent a team to the areas affected and ordered a thorough medication to save the lives of the cattle.
The virus, studies showed, is transmitted by flying insects, including mosquitoes and flies.
The disease is characterized by sudden onset of fever, stiffness, lameness, nasal, and ocular discharges, depression, and constipation. (MindaNews)