A mysterious disease has recently claimed the lives of dozens of camels in the Cholistan desert, officials reported. Livestock authorities in Punjab have confirmed an outbreak of a flu-like infection affecting camels in the area. The situation is being closely monitored after several deaths were reported across the desert stretches.
Special teams from the Punjab livestock department conducted inspections on over 11,000 camels in five days. They identified symptoms of the disease in around 1,100 animals. The cases have primarily been reported in the Sadiqabad and Kot Sabzal areas of Rahim Yar Khan district. Local herders first raised alarms about their camels showing signs of sudden illness.
Officials have sent samples from 52 infected camels to livestock laboratories in Lahore and Islamabad for further testing. Initial reports indicate that the infected animals develop cold-like symptoms, followed by high fever and sudden collapse. These conditions often lead to death within hours of onset.
Camel herders in the affected areas are facing significant losses, with some animals worth hundreds of thousands of rupees succumbing to the illness. This has created a major financial strain on the herders, many of whom rely on their camels as their primary source of income.
The livestock department continues to investigate the cause of the outbreak while urging herders to report any unusual symptoms in their animals. Authorities are hopeful that further testing will help identify the disease and prevent further losses in the region.
