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Unidentified disease claimed lives of about 50 domestic cows in a span of three days till Monday in two unions under Kaliakair upazila in Gazipur.
   The disease also attacked several hundred cows and goats, creating frustration among the farmers and cattle owners. One more cow died on Wednesday in the area while no report of casualty was reported Tuesday.
   According to local people and livestock office sources, three cows died at village Dubail, two at Shawratoli, four at Bhanguri, six at Dauar, nine at Bhadurpur, three at Ashapur, one at Benupur, seven at Basura, two at Kuralkapa and two at village Shajondhara under Atabaha and Dhaljora unions.
   Sukur Ali, a farmer of village Bahadurpur, said he took a cow on a field on Monday for grazing. But at one stage of eating grass it died. ‘The whole thing happened within half an hour and it stunned me,’ he said.
   He said he used to collect on average 4/6kg milk from the cow per day. ‘It contributed a lot for my family and with the death of it I’ve lost a source of my income,’ he said with frustration.
   Digam Chandra Monidah of village Dubail and Nehaz Uddin of village Basura said they found four of their cow dead on the filed on Saturday.
   Abdul Mannan of village Nishinda Kandi said he took one of his cows on a filed on Monday morning. But at one stage of eating grass it fell down on the ground and died.
   Local people of the two unions said at least 50 cows died in their areas in three days.
   Md Meshbah Uddin, upazila live stock officer (veterinary), said he suspected that the domestic cows might have died from food poisoning. The cows often eat rotten jackfruits and rotten rice and that might have caused food poisoning, he added.
   Abdus Samad, upazila livestock officer, on the other hand, said the suspected that the cows might have died of ‘Tarka’ disease. But he expressed his surprise as the cows of the area were vaccinated earlier.
   The real cause of the death could not be known now as it will take at least six month to have a viscera report, he said.
   Meanwhile, a team of livestock experts from Savar in Dhaka visited the affected area on Wednesday and took sample for investigation.
   The district livestock officer, Kafil Uddin, on Wednesday said the death of the cows was normal and the figure was not so panicky.