TOBA TEK SINGH: A mysterious disease is suspected to have broken out once again in a village in Pirmahal that claimed 19 cattle in December 2014.

In just a few days, six animals have died in Chak 334GB, Rajjowal, in what seems to be a fresh wave of the disease`s spread,while onMondaythree more died suddenly in the presence of veterinary department officials who were vaccinating the animals.

Farmers Javed Iqbal, who lost a buffalo and cow, and Muhammad Hussain whose buffalo died on Monday said their animals were healthy, but died all of a sudden.

District Livestock and Dairy Development (L&DD) Officer Dr Khalid Hussain said blood samples had been taken by doctors of the Lahore VeterinaryLaboratory to detect the cause of death of the animals. He said Punjab L&DD Secretary Nasim Sadiq, who had visited the village in December, sent on Monday a team of expert veterinary doctors from Lahore University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and Lahore Veterinary Research Institute led by Professor Dr Khushi Muhammad and Assistant Professor Dr Amer Bajwa to ascertain the reason behind the deaths.

He also said there were suspicions of poisoning, as a bottle of aluminium phosphide had been found near the fodder of a dead buffalo on Monday. He said the bottle was handed over to police to get it tested from a forensic laboratory.

Affected farmers demanded the chief minister provide them financial aid for the loss of their animals worth millions of rupees.