Dogs in Manaung Twsp dying of unidentified illness

By DMG 31 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
31 May 2022, Manaung

Many dogs have been stricken by an undiagnosed malady and died in Manaung Township, Arakan State, according to locals and an official from the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department. 

The infected dogs died about 10 days after first showing symptoms that progressed to an inability to walk or eat, locals in Manaung Township said. 

“A dog near our home died of an illness. The rest of the dogs are also infected,” Ko Aung Ko Naing, a resident of Manaung’s Mratmachaung village, told DMG. 

Locals in Manaung Township are worried that the illness could spread to humans as it remains unidentified and its properties are still largely unknown. 

“Now that there are various diseases, there is a risk of transmission from animals to humans. Dogs are now sick in almost every village,” said U Kyaw Han, a resident of Manaung Township. 

The infected dogs are thought to have contracted the deadly malady from domestic dogs brought from mainland Myanmar, said Dr. Than Win, head of the township Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department. 

“Dogs have fallen ill with the undiagnosed disease since the end of [April],” he added. 

He continued that samples from the infected dogs in Manaung Township have been sent for laboratory tests to learn more and hopefully identify the illness.