Abandoned carcasses spreading diseases

By Abdullah Al-Hikami EASTERN PROVINCE — A number of cattlemen complained about the abandoned carcasses left to be food for the cattle. Sheikh Ali Al-Hikami said he is 95 years old and has been tending to camels for decades. “I dedicated my life to tending camels. Now, my sons have inherited the trade after I retired. In the olden days, we considered leaving the carcass of animals in the same place other animals are tended to as something very dangerous,” said Al-Hikami. He added in fact such an act was considered a crime because carcasses can contaminate healthy living cattle with diseases. “These carcasses are left to rot making them a suitable surface for viruses and bacteria. Contracting a virus from a diseased carcass is worse than contracting it directly as the indirect viruses are stronger than direct viruses,” said Al-Hikami. He added most of the diseases animals contract come from abandoned carcasses. “These dead animals are discarded incorrectly and are thrown randomly at farms and barns. The animals roam around and begin to eat the carcasses and contract diseases that way. Diseased animals may transfer their disease to humans and that is how the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is spread,” said Al-Hikami. He also said abandoned carcasses outnumber the healthy animals. “Many farm owners and amateur cattlemen make the mistake of discarding carcasses incorrectly and contaminating the entire farm that way. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to raise awareness of such issues among cattlemen,” said Al-Hikami. He called for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health to cooperate to organize a campaign for the removal of abandoned and incorrectly discarded carcasses. “I think the ministries do not realize how much of a danger these dead animals are causing. There is hardly any effort from the ministries to address the issue. People holding executive and administrative positions just sit in an office completely oblivious of what happens out in the field,” said Al-Hikami.